an atmosphere reminiscent of Chekov in its finely drawn characters and astute observations of how life can be tragic and absurd at the same time
Comment
08/23/04
Garden State (2004)
86
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:181
Fresh:155
Rotten:26
Average Rating:7.4/10
Consensus: Charmingly warm-hearted and quirky.
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) shuffled through life in a lithium-induced coma until his mother's death inspired a vacation from the pills to see what might happen. A moderately successful TV actor... [More]
Starring: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm, Peter Sarsgaard
Director: Zach Braff
Reviews for Garden State
It's not meant to be a masterpiece, just Braff's take on what summer movies could be if Hollywood gave audiences as much respect as they give accountants
08/23/04
This film is somewhat interesting and a good first effort for Zach Braff in his directorial debut.
08/22/04
Braff has an ear for dialogue. ... The pauses, the search for words — the right words — overflow from Braff’s script. It ... deserves an original screenplay Oscar nomination.
08/22/04
A warm, good-spirited and captivating original.
08/21/04
Sweet, fuzzy and quirky in a good way -- much like the cracked friendships it engagingly depicts.
08/20/04
A fresh, funny and surprisingly affecting comedy of self-discovery and oddball romance.
08/20/04
Cleverly written, sensitively directed and very well-acted.
08/20/04
Likable enough when it isn't trying too hard to be self-consciously quirky.
08/20/04
So emotionally honest and is so well-done that it's hard not to take to it.
08/20/04
The writer-director never stops telling us a tale that's true at its core.
08/20/04
A wonderful late-summer surprise for audiences to embrace.
08/20/04
Braff balances the comic with the tragic so perfectly that we may laugh and cry, freely and without feeling manipulated, during a single scene.
08/20/04
succeeds as both a solid sentimental comedy and as a serious statement about the dangers of letting life pass you by.
08/20/04
If you're familiar with the music of The Shins and Nick Drake, you have a sense of the melancholic-ironic-romantic-euphoric buzz the movie aspires to instill in viewers...
08/20/04
Zach Braff's writing-directing debut demonstrates that he's got real talent backing up his ambitions.
08/19/04
A mash note to love that will speak to Generation Y as powerfully as The Graduate did to the Boomers nearly forty years ago.
08/19/04
A surprisingly assured debut.
08/19/04
Humanistic and forgiving streak runs through a film that both looks and feels like a labor of love.
08/19/04
As long as Braff keeps making films like this one, he deserves free rein to make out with all the hot, young actresses he wants.
08/19/04
Latest News for Garden State
May 10, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "28 Weeks Later" and "Georgia Rule" To Battle For #2 Spot
In what must be a first at the box office, an aerobics queen takes on killer zombies in a vicious battle for the silver medal during what no doubt will be another mammoth... More...
August 31, 2006:
Box Office Preview: "Crank" Closes Up Summer Movie Season
The summer movie season comes to an official end with the Labor Day holiday weekend unleashing three new releases plus the national expansion of a fourth. More...
August 14, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: "Talladega Nights" Stays #1, "Step Up" Surprises
Despite a pair of newcomers close behind in its rearview mirror, Will Ferrell's hit comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby finished in first place for the second... More...
March 02, 2006:
Dr. Dorian Prepares for "Open Hearts"
"Scrubs" star Zach Braff, who made quite the impression with his debut movie, "Garden State," has chosen his second directorial project: a remake of the 2003... More...
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