Garden State (film)

Last updated
Garden State
Garden State Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Zach Braff
Written byZach Braff
Produced by Gary Gilbert
Dan Halsted
Pamela Abdy
Richard Klubeck
Starring
Cinematography Lawrence Sher
Edited by Myron I. Kerstein
Music by Alexi Murdoch
Chad Fischer
Production
companies
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures
(North America)
Miramax International
(International; through Buena Vista International [1] [2] )
Release dates
  • January 16, 2004 (2004-01-16)
(Sundance)
  • July 28, 2004 (2004-07-28)(United States)
Running time
102 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.5 million
Box office$35.8 million

Garden State is a 2004 American romantic comedy-drama film, written and directed by Zach Braff, and starring him, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard and Ian Holm. The film centers on Andrew Largeman (Braff), a 26-year-old actor/waiter who returns to his hometown in New Jersey after his mother dies. Braff based the film on his real life experiences. It was filmed in April and May 2003 and released on July 28, 2004. New Jersey was the main setting and primary shooting location.

Contents

Garden State received positive reviews and was a box office success. It was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival. The film's soundtrack, selected by Braff, won a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

Plot

Struggling actor Andrew Largeman wakes up from a dream—in which he apathetically sits on a crashing plane—to a telephone message from his father, telling Andrew that he needs to return home because his mother has died.

Andrew leaves Los Angeles and returns home to New Jersey to attend the funeral. He recognizes the grave-diggers as old friends Mark and Dave, who invite him to a party that night. At home, Andrew's father gets him a doctor's appointment for headaches that he has been having.

Later that night, Andrew goes to the party where he meets up with Mark, Dave, and Jesse, an old friend who has just earned a fortune after creating silent Velcro. After smoking marijuana and taking ecstasy at the party, he still remains detached.

The morning after the party, Andrew proceeds to the appointment. In the waiting room, he meets a young woman named Sam, who is a pathological liar. She later explains that most times she does not know why she lies and will always admit to them afterward. In Andrew's meeting with his doctor, it is revealed that Andrew has been on lithium and other mood stabilizers, as well as antidepressants, since the age of 10, but has recently stopped taking them. He also says that his father, who is his psychiatrist, put him on the medications. Andrew finds Sam outside the office and offers her a ride home. Sam invites him into her house, where he meets her mother, who inadvertently reveals that Sam has epilepsy. Andrew tells Sam of his mother's death, and Sam tearfully eulogizes her hamster. After returning home, Andrew's father confronts him and is insistent that they have a talk before Andrew leaves.

Later, Andrew and Jesse sit in the cemetery as Mark digs another grave. Andrew observes Mark stealing jewelry from the corpse he is burying. Andrew then returns to Sam's house, and the two spend the rest of the day together, joining his friends later at Jesse's mansion. Andrew tells Sam that he pushed his mother in frustration when he was nine years old, knocking her over a broken dishwasher and leaving her paraplegic; he says that his father blames him for his mother's paralysis and put him on medication to "curb the anger" he supposedly harbors. Sam listens, and Andrew admits his feelings for her.

The next day, Mark tells Andrew that he needs help "tracking down" a going-away present for him. Sam, Andrew, and Mark spend the day together, ending it in a quarry in Newark where Mark talks to a man named Albert, who is employed in keeping intruders out of the quarry. The three discuss the reasons why Albert and his wife choose to live in the quarry. Albert explains that living there and exploring the quarry is "doing something that's completely unique, that's never been done before," mirroring an earlier speech by Sam. Finally, Albert explains that what actually matters is living with his family. Andrew is inspired by the conversation, and outside in the rain, he climbs atop a derelict crane and screams into the quarry, joined by Sam and Mark. He and Sam then share a kiss.

When Sam and Andrew look at the gift later on, it turns out to be Andrew's mother's favorite pendant, one of the items Mark stole from her grave, sold, and subsequently located. Andrew eventually talks with his father, and states that he was not to blame for his mother's accident and that he will live the rest of his life without medication. He forgives his father and says he wants to build a better relationship with him.

The morning after, Andrew says his goodbyes to Sam at the airport while she begs him not to leave. He acknowledges that she has changed his life but also recognizes that he still has to fix his personal problems before continuing the relationship. Andrew boards the flight, and Sam is left crying in a telephone booth. Andrew, changing his mind, returns to Sam and says he does not want to waste any more of his life without her. He wonders what to do next, and the two then kiss.

Cast

Production

Garden State was Braff's feature directing and writing debut. The title of the film was originally intended to be Large's Ark, in reference to Braff's character (note that Albert mentions his own ark in the movie), but he changed it because no one understood what it meant. [4] The title alludes both to the nickname for New Jersey, and lines from Andrew Marvell's poem "The Garden" ("Such was that happy garden-state/While man there walked without a mate").

Garden State was filmed over 25 days in April and May 2003, with a budget of $2.5 million; much of it was provided by Gary Gilbert, a co-founder of Rocket Mortgage and first-time film producer.[ citation needed ] Most of the film was shot on location in Braff's hometown of South Orange, New Jersey, with filming also taking place at Cranford, Livingston, Maplewood, Newark, Tenafly, Mahwah, and Wallington as well as New York City and Los Angeles. [5]

Braff has cited such films as Harold and Maude , Woody Allen films (specifically Annie Hall and Manhattan ), and the films of Alexander Payne as influences on Garden State. [6]

Music

The music that accompanied the film was hand-picked by Braff. Commenting on the selections, he said that "Essentially, I made a mix CD with all of the music that I felt was scoring my life at the time I was writing the screenplay." [7]

Braff won a Grammy Award in 2005 for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. The film's trailer won an award for Best Music at the Golden Trailer Awards. The Broadcast Film Critics Association nominated it for Best Soundtrack at the 10th Critics' Choice Awards.

Themes

The protagonist's father has been "protecting" him from his own feelings with pills, namely lithium carbonate. [8] Braff describes the themes of the movie as "love, for lack of a better term. And it's a movie about awakening. It's a movie about taking action. It's a movie about how life is short, go for it now. My character says, 'I'm 26 years old, and I've spent my whole life waiting for something else to start. Now I realize that this is all there is, and I'm going to try to live my life like that'". [9] "I have this theory that your body goes through puberty in its teens, and the mind goes through puberty in your twenties," he says. "[Andrew] is dealing with issues that you are going through all the time going into your thirties. He's lost and lonesome, which is something I definitely felt in my twenties". [10]

The film is partly autobiographical, depicting Braff's own emotions while he was writing the screenplay. He described that "When I wrote Garden State, I was completely depressed, waiting tables and lonesome as I've ever been in my life. The script was a way for me to articulate what I was feeling; alone, isolated, 'a dime a dozen' and homesick for a place that didn't even exist." [11]

Release

The film was first screened on January 16, 2004, at the Sundance Film Festival where it was purchased in a joint venture by Fox Searchlight Pictures and Miramax for $5 million, double the film's budget. Fox Searchlight Pictures president Peter Rice said of the film, "Having enjoyed the film immensely, we look forward to working with Miramax to bring Garden State to audiences worldwide." [12]

From March until mid July, it screened at other film festivals until it received a limited release on July 28 in North America. It became only the fourth non-documentary feature to top the chart that year, as calculated by per screen average, since Memorial Day weekend.

Stephen Gilula, president of distribution at Fox Searchlight, attributed the film's gradual success to word of mouth and a publicity tour by Braff leading up to the film's theatrical debut. Gilula said, "Zach [Braff] had a cross-country tour, and we [organized] word of mouth screenings, where we had to turn people away. Zach did Q&As following [the screenings]." [13] The film went into a limited general release in July 28, 2024, expanding over the following weeks to wider release domestically and in over 20 countries. [1]

Reception

Box office

Garden State grossed $26.8 million domestically (United States and Canada), and $9.0 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $35.8 million, against a budget of $2.5 million. [1] After a limited theatrical release (less than 40 theatres over its first three weeks), it went into wide release in its fifth week, when it also reached the Top 10 at the domestic box office for the first of two non-consecutive weeks. [14]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 86% of 191 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10.The website's consensus reads: "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." [15] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [16]

Peter Debruge of Premiere wrote: "Garden State gets it. Not since The Graduate has a movie nailed the beautiful terror of standing on the brink of adulthood with such satisfying precision." [17] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars and wrote: "This is not a perfect movie; it meanders and ambles and makes puzzling detours. But it's smart and unconventional, with a good eye for the perfect detail." [18]

Some reviews were more mixed. Todd McCarthy of Variety said "Feels too piecemeal and ultimately inconsequential." [19] Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club wrote: "Garden State coasts on this considerable charm until it hits a brick wall in its final segments". [20]

Manic Pixie Dream Girl

Natalie Portman's character Sam has been used as an example of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, a term that was coined soon after Garden State was released, though in reference to another movie. [21] [22] [23]

Accolades

Empire placed Garden State at number 393 on their list of the 500 Greatest Films of All Time. [24] In 2014, Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone referred to Garden State as the film "that helped make Hollywood safe for indie pop". [25]

In addition to being a nominee for the Grand Jury prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, Braff received Best New Director from the Chicago Film Critics Association, the Florida Film Critics Circle's Pauline Kael Breakout Award, Best Debut Director Award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Breakout of the Year from the Phoenix Film Critics Society, and Hollywood Breakthrough Director of the Year Award at the Hollywood Film Festival.

Home media

After its limited release in theaters, the film gained more popularity during its DVD release on December 28, 2004, which includes commentaries, deleted scenes, and featurettes.

It was first released on Blu-ray in the UK on February 19, 2012. [26] The Blu-ray was released in the US on March 4, 2014. [27]

Related Research Articles

<i>Léon: The Professional</i> 1994 film by Luc Besson

Léon: The Professional is a 1994 English-language French action-thriller film written and directed by Luc Besson. It stars Jean Reno and Gary Oldman, and features the film debut of Natalie Portman. The plot centers on Léon (Reno), a professional hitman who reluctantly takes in twelve-year-old Mathilda Lando (Portman) after her family is murdered by corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Norman Stansfield (Oldman). Léon and Mathilda form an unusual relationship as she becomes his protégée and learns the hitman's trade. The film was released in France by Gaumont through Gaumont Buena Vista International on 14 September 1994 and received mostly positive reviews from critics.

<i>Scrubs</i> (TV series) American medical sitcom television series

Scrubs is an American medical sitcom created by Bill Lawrence that aired from October 2, 2001, to March 17, 2010, on NBC and later ABC. The series follows the lives of employees at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital, which is a teaching hospital. The title is a play on surgical scrubs and a term for a low-ranking person because at the beginning of the series, most of the main characters are medical interns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shins</span> American indie rock band

The Shins is an American indie rock band formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1996. The band is the project of singer-songwriter James Mercer, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The band's current line-up consists of Mercer, alongside Yuuki Matthews, Mark Watrous, Patti King (keyboards), and Jon Sortland (drums). They are based in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Braff</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1975)

Zachary Israel Braff is an American actor and filmmaker. He portrayed John Michael "J.D." Dorian on the NBC/ABC television series Scrubs (2001–2010), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2005 as well as for three Golden Globe Awards from 2005 to 2007. He starred in The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000), The Last Kiss (2006), The Ex (2006), and In Dubious Battle (2016). He has done voice-work for Chicken Little (2005) and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).

<i>Chicken Little</i> (2005 film) 2005 animated film by Mark Dindal

Chicken Little is a 2005 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Mark Dindal from a screenplay by Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman, and Ron Anderson, based on a story by Dindal and Mark Kennedy, loosely inspired on the European folk tale "Henny Penny", known in the United States as "Chicken Little". In this version, the title character is ridiculed by his town for causing a panic, thinking that the sky was "falling". A year later he attempts to fix his reputation, followed by an unexpected truth regarding his past being revealed. The film is dedicated to Disney artist and writer Joe Grant, who died before the film's release. This also marked the final film appearance of Don Knotts during his lifetime, as his next and final film, Air Buddies, would be released posthumously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Slang</span> 2001 single by The Shins

"New Slang" is a song by American rock band The Shins, released in February 2001 as the lead single from the group's debut studio album, Oh, Inverted World (2001). Written by guitarist and vocalist James Mercer, it concerns his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico and his experiences there in his late 20s. The lyrics are fueled with "angst and confusion," as Mercer was finding himself constantly depressed and disconnected from his friends and scene. The song attracted attention from Sub Pop Records, who issued the song as a single in February 2001. The buzz created by the song led to positive press for the group's debut album, Oh, Inverted World.

Garden State may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Sher</span> American cinematographer

Lawrence Sher, ASC is an American cinematographer and film director, best known for comedy films such as Garden State, The Dictator, and The Hangover series, frequently collaborating with directors Todd Phillips and Zach Braff. He made his directorial debut with Father Figures, which began a wide theatrical release on December 22, 2017, by Warner Bros. Pictures. He was nominated for an Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography for the 2019 film Joker, directed by Phillips.

<i>Fletch</i> (film) 1985 American neo-noir comedy thriller film by Michael Ritchie

Fletch is a 1985 American comedy thriller film directed by Michael Ritchie and written by Andrew Bergman. Based on Gregory Mcdonald's popular Fletch novels, the film stars Chevy Chase as the eponymous character. It co-stars Tim Matheson, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Geena Davis and Joe Don Baker.

<i>The Ex</i> (2006 film) 2006 American film

The Ex is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Jesse Peretz and starring Zach Braff, Amanda Peet and Jason Bateman. The film had a wide release planned for January 19, 2007, and then March 9, 2007. It was originally promoted under the working title Fast Track. It was released on May 11, 2007. Co-stars include Charles Grodin, in his first film appearance since 1994, Donal Logue and Mia Farrow.

<i>Garden State</i> (soundtrack) 2004 soundtrack album by Various Artists

Garden State is the soundtrack album to the 2004 film Garden State. Compilation producer Zach Braff was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards for his work on the album.

J.D. (<i>Scrubs</i>) Fictional character from Scrubs

John Michael "J.D." Dorian, M.D., is a fictional character and protagonist of the American comedy-drama television series, Scrubs.

<i>King Dork</i> 2006 book by Frank Portman

King Dork is the first novel by Frank Portman, published in 2006. A work of young adult fiction, the first-person narrative follows 14 year-old Tom Henderson during the first few months of his sophomore year of high school. Tom navigates the daily difficulties of a school filled with cruel peers and uncaring administrators, attempts to start a rock and roll band with his only close friend, negotiates the complexities of relating to girls, tries to piece together information about his deceased father through clues found in old novels, and evolves his relationship with his mother, stepfather, and sister. Titled after a 1999 song by Portman's band The Mr. T Experience, King Dork makes many references to rock bands, albums, and musicians.

Gary Gilbert is an American film producer and businessman. He is the founder and CEO of Gilbert Films, a media production and financing company based in Los Angeles, California. He is also a co-founder of Rocket Mortgage, as well as a co-owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA team.

<i>Black Swan</i> (film) 2011 film by Darren Aronofsky

Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky from a screenplay by Mark Heyman, John McLaughlin, and Andres Heinz, based on a story by Heinz. The film stars Natalie Portman in the lead role, with Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder in supporting roles. The plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake by the company of New York City Ballet. The production requires a ballerina to play the innocent and fragile White Swan, for which the committed dancer Nina Sayers (Portman) is a perfect fit, as well as the dark and sensual Black Swan, which are qualities better embodied by the new rival Lily (Kunis). Nina is overwhelmed by a feeling of immense pressure when she finds herself competing for the role, causing her to lose her tenuous grip on reality and descend into madness.

<i>Wish I Was Here</i> 2014 American comedy-drama film

Wish I Was Here is a 2014 American comedy-drama film directed by Zach Braff and co-written with his brother Adam Braff. The film stars Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Josh Gad, Pierce Gagnon, Ashley Greene, Kate Hudson, Joey King, Jim Parsons, and Mandy Patinkin. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014 and was given a limited release on July 18, 2014 by Focus Features. This marked the final film appearances for James Avery and Allan Rich before their deaths on December 31, 2013 and August 22, 2020 respectively.

<i>Going in Style</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Zach Braff

Going in Style is a 2017 American comedy film directed by Zach Braff and written by Theodore Melfi. A remake of the 1979 film of the same name, it stars Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Joey King, Matt Dillon, Christopher Lloyd, Ann-Margret, John Ortiz and Siobhan Fallon Hogan. It follows a trio of retirees who plan to rob a bank after their pensions are canceled.

<i>Cheaper by the Dozen</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Gail Lerner

Cheaper by the Dozen is a 2022 American comedy film directed by Gail Lerner from a screenplay written by Kenya Barris and Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry, with Shawn Levy serving as an executive producer. The film stars Gabrielle Union, Zach Braff, Erika Christensen, and Timon Kyle Durrett with supporting roles by Christian Cote, Sebastian Cote, Christina Anthony, Caylee Blosenski, Journey Brown, Brittany Daniel, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Cynthia Daniel Hauser in her first acting role since 2002, Abby Elliott, Ron Funches, Leo Abelo Perry, Luke Prael, June Diane Raphael, Andre Robinson, Kylie Rogers, and Aryan Simhadri. It tells the story of a restaurant proprietor and his second wife as they raise the kids from the restaurateur's previous marriage, the second wife's family, and the children they later conceived as their respective exes are still involved in their children's lives.

<i>A Good Person</i> 2023 film by Zach Braff

A Good Person is a 2023 American drama film written, directed, and produced by Zach Braff. The film stars Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Celeste O'Connor, Molly Shannon, and Chinaza Uche.

The music to the 2023 drama film A Good Person, directed by Zach Braff, featured two soundtracks: A Good Person (Music from the Original Motion Picture) is the soundtrack to the 2023 film featuring the compilation of popular hits by various artists, and two original songs written by Florence Pugh as Allison. A Good Person (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) consists of the film's original score composed by Bryce Dessner. Both the soundtrack and the score albums were released on March 24, 2023 by Mercury Classics, the same date as the film's release.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Garden State". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 2024-09-18. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. 1 2 "Garden State (15)". British Board of Film Classification . December 12, 2005. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  3. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (July 28, 2004). "Garden State" Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine . Entertainment Weekly .
  4. Blackwelder, Rob (2004-07-01). "Braff in the Saddle". SPLICEDwire. Archived from the original on 2008-03-07. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
  5. Garden State (2004) - Filming & production - IMDb . Retrieved 2024-11-04 via www.imdb.com.
  6. Leahan, Jonny (2004-07-27). "Zach Braff Visits Life's Infinite Abyss in Garden State". IndieWIRE . Archived from the original on 2008-01-20. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  7. "Garden State soundtrack review". IGN. January 26, 2004. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009.
  8. Holden, Stephen (28 July 2004). "Film Review; First Go Cold Turkey, Then Go to Cold Jersey" Archived 2020-09-26 at the Wayback Machine . The New York Times.
  9. Howard, Carolin (July 28, 2004). "The Scrubs Star Gets Hollywood (and Natalie Portman's) Attention With Garden State" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine . People .
  10. Thomas, E.C. (August 10, 2004). "Garden State: Zach Braff is Lost in Jersey" Archived 2013-12-19 at the Wayback Machine . Glide Magazine.
  11. Braff, Zach (2004-07-17). "Dove Latte". Typepad. Archived from the original on 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  12. "Miramax and Fox Searchlight Jointly Acquire Worldwide Rights to Garden State". moviecitynews.com. Oscar City Centre. Archived from the original on 1 December 2005. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  13. Brooks, Brian (August 4, 2004). "Garden State Sows a Bountiful Box Office Debut". indieWIRE. Archived from the original on April 26, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
  14. "Garden State | Domestic Weekly". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  15. "Garden State". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 22, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  16. "Garden State". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  17. Debruge, Peter (2004-07-28). "Garden State". Premiere . Archived from the original on 2004-08-12.
  18. Ebert, Roger. "Garden State Movie Review & Film Summary (2004)". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on 2019-08-26. Retrieved 2019-08-26 via RogerEbert.com.
  19. McCarthy, Todd (19 January 2004). "Garden State". Variety . Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  20. Phipps, Keith (27 July 2004). "Garden State". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  21. Rabin, Nathan (January 25, 2007). "My Year Of Flops, Case File 1: Elizabethtown: The Bataan Death March of Whimsy". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  22. Welker, Holly (February 12, 2010). "Forever Your Girl". Bitch (46): 26–30. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  23. Berman, Judy (August 7, 2008). "The Natalie Portman problem". Salon . Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  24. "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time". Empire Online. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  25. Dolan, Jon (August 5, 2014). "They Want My Soul". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  26. "Garden State Blu-ray (United Kingdom)". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on 29 December 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  27. "Store" Archived 2014-01-25 at the Wayback Machine . Wish I Was Here. Retrieved January 23, 2014.