Camelot Pictures/Double Feature Films/Jersey Films/Large Ark Productions 2004

Directed by Zach Braff

Written by  Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Alex Burns

Starring:

 

 

“Garden State” is a comedy about emotional disconnection. This is also its main flaw.  Zach Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a somewhat successful actor who, ironically enough, has difficulty reacting to life.

 

Due to an accidental childhood mishap, Andrew is diagnosed as being “dangerous” and his father (also ridiculously) his psychiatrist prescribes a malpractice-worthy amount of mood altering drugs (Zoloft, Prozac) to his son for the next ten years of his life.  Thus, Andrew exists in a constant state of emotional numbness; unable to feel pain or happiness. Abruptly, Andrew is called out of his drug induced stupor to attend the funeral of his mother in New Jersey.  With a newfound clarity, he reunites with old classmates, comes to terms with his aloof father, and even takes a risk on a newfound relationship.

 

 The main flaw of the movie is the central character, “Andrew Largeman”. Braff has adequately constructed a story, replete with quirky locals and the bare outline of a plotline however Andrew Largeman, is way too much of a reactor to life to be interesting as a central character.

 

Other films offer up men who do things: rob, kill people, even sell advertising…as long as they are doing something, they are interesting characters. However Braff’s character spends the bulk of the film as a sounding board for other people’s problems and neurosis; offering only snide comments or dry comebacks in place of any definitive perspective.

 

Throughout the film, Andrew responds to his former classmates; a fast food waiter who dresses up in a suit of armor and a druggie who collects Desert Storm Trading Cards with a look of amused befuddlement.

 

 Even the film’s cool, goofy female lead, played with real genuineness by Natalie Portman, never really is able to crack Andrew’s icy exterior. At one point, she comments on one of the roles Andrew has played as an actor on T.V, “So, you’re not really retarded, I thought you were really retarded.”  The problem is that he is, at least emotionally.

 

 Only towards the very end of the film does Andrew’s character show any real sense of purpose or outward signs of feeling, when he finally confronts his father is able to show any real passion to his girlfriend. This transformation, however occurs too late in the film to be rewarding. It has a tacked-on, fabricated and unearned feeling. Missing is a scene where Andrew’s façade tumbles and he begins the slow process of waking up to his own life. It is as if, towards the end of the film, Andrew has merely decided to “lessen the dosage” of his Zoloft rather than undergoing any long or profound change.

 

As a result we are left with a pleasant, amiable enough comedy without any real satisfactory emotional payoff or satirical bite. I wish Zach Braff had taken one less dosage of Zoloft and one more serving of Caffeine. Then, there might be something worth watching here.