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Garden State

Play trailer 1:11 Poster for Garden State R 2004 1h 49m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 190 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
After many years away, television bit part actor Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) returns to his small home town in New Jersey to attend his mother's funeral. There he is confronted by various aspects of the life he left behind, including his overbearing father (Ian Holm). Largeman also meets compulsive liar and amateur musician Sam (Natalie Portman), with whom he feels an immediate connection. Together with several other figures from his past, Largeman heals old wounds and forges new friendships.
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Garden State

Garden State

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Critics Consensus

Delivering a quirky spin on familiar twentysomething tropes -- with a cannily-placed soundtrack -- Garden State has enough charm to mark a winning debut for first-time director Zach Braff.

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Critics Reviews

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Will Self London Evening Standard 12/20/2017
On the basis that it behoves all of us to keep a little nugget of our 15-year-old selves locked up in our breasts, I'm going to say this is a loveable film and that you should all go and see it to awake your inner adolescent. Go to Full Review
Jason Bailey Flavorwire 06/21/2016
Braff captures the specific, self-involved ennui of the aimless 20-something, and he doesn't do it from a point of smug detachment. Go to Full Review
Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/24/2010
4/5
Smart drama for mature older teens and up. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views 06/12/2024
Garden State’s original sin is abandoning the original story of how to resolve the numbness of the beginning with tropes like stop taking your prescription medicine, socialize and live. Braff treats the central concept, why the protagonist is so numb Go to Full Review
Cory Woodroof 615 Film 06/15/2022
The fact that the pinnacle of this film puts the three lead characters in garbage bags yelling nonsense into the air is much more scathing than any review that could ever be written. Go to Full Review
Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com 09/08/2020
4.0/4.0
I found myself experiencing fits of laughter and tears for a good two hours following my viewing of Garden State. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Khaliel P Nov 1 Garden State, written and directed by Zach Braff, is a film that captivates through its simplicity and sincerity, without relying on action or a complex plot. It follows 26-year-old Andrew Largeman, emotionally numb due to medication, who returns to his hometown after his mother’s death and reconnects with his best friend Mark and meets Samantha, sparking a journey of self-discovery. The film excels through its authentic characters and performances, notably Zach Braff and Natalie Portman, supported by a strong secondary cast. Enhanced by a perfectly curated soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, and thoughtful lighting, the film’s quiet moments and heartfelt ending, where Andrew chooses to embrace life, make it a deeply moving and transformative cinematic experience. See more Hanna J Aug 23 The only movie I ever want to remember from the 2,000’s. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Jul 17 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Christopher L Jul 9 I only saw this once shortly after it came out, but recall that I never wanted to see it again after the first viewing. And I haven’t. I don’t recall it being terrible, however I recall it feeling a bit derivative, self important and coming off as thinking it’s more deeper and profound than it really is. It’s also the apex of hipster humor and movies of the mid-2000’s, which today may or may not hold up well. See more Mason M Jun 1 This directorial debut from Zach Braff is a surprisingly amazing film. I, of course, have seen Scrubs and know Braff from that. But I had no idea that he was such a talented writer and director too. Garden State was a hilarious coming of age drama that was perfectly sincere while still remaining funny. I really loved the pacing of this film. It was perfect in its pacing, how it always is drudging along at a slow rate the whole time. It never stops or goes faster, it's always just in motion. And the world that Braff creates in this film is perfect in how the scenarios always are absurd and funny in their absurdity, but still feel believable as something that could happen. The character of Andrew in this film also is stellar, he's a very layered and emotional creation which is one of the best film characters I've seen in awhile. The soundtrack is amazing here, the whole cast gives great performances, the photography is great, it's all a great film. Braff's world-building here is phenomenal, and the whole film is a deep and emotionally full project. See more Faiz D May 13 Good little movie, good acting by Zach, Natalie and Peter. See more Read all reviews
Garden State

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Movie Info

Synopsis After many years away, television bit part actor Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) returns to his small home town in New Jersey to attend his mother's funeral. There he is confronted by various aspects of the life he left behind, including his overbearing father (Ian Holm). Largeman also meets compulsive liar and amateur musician Sam (Natalie Portman), with whom he feels an immediate connection. Together with several other figures from his past, Largeman heals old wounds and forges new friendships.
Director
Zach Braff
Producer
Pamela Abdy, Richard Klubeck, Gary Gilbert, Dan Halsted
Screenwriter
Zach Braff
Distributor
Fox
Production Co
Jersey Films, Large's Ark Productions, Camelot Pictures
Rating
R (Language|Drug Use|Scenes of Sexuality)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 16, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$26.8M
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital
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