Challenger Blog
Garden State (2004)
An all around award winning movie gives its credit to Scrubs’ star, Zach Braff.
Zach Braff plays the part of Andrew Largeman, a mentally drugged up young adult, ready for something more in his life. He returns to his hometown for his mother’s funeral where he meets all of his old high school friends who haven’t seen him in quite a long time. Andrew messes around with drugs and parties to pass the time and reconnect with his old friends.
Back at home, he meets Sam (Natalie Portman), an eccentric young girl living with epilepsy, at the psychiatrist’s office. After his appointment, he realizes how different and strange Sam is and offers her a ride home on his sidecar bike. Andrew finds such an interestingly odd lifestyle Sam lives in when he starts to get to know her even more than what’s on the outside.
Garden State is a movie with many credits to Zach Braff such as COFCA Break-through Film Artist, CFCA Best New Director, Empire Award Best Newcomer, Pauline Kael Breakout Award, Golden Trailer Best Music, Grammy Best Complication Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, NBR Award Best Debut Director, Sandance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Dramatic, and many others.
Altogether, I was never disappointed in the movie. I was always entertained and the indie camera style just added to the effect that this could be real life. Garden State deserves the 9.5 out of 10.