GARDEN STATE
(Rated R) – Starring Zach Braff (”Scrubs”); Natalie Portman (Star Wars: Phantom Menace, Cold Mountain); Peter Sarsgaard (K-19: The Widowmaker, Boys Don’t Cry); & Ian Holm (The Day After Tomorrow, Lord of the Rings). Directed by Zach Braff (Directorial Debut).

Nuts and Bolts:
This movie is about a 20 something man who comes back to New Jersey after his mom dies. He was living in Los Angeles, working as a waiter and trying to make it as an actor. He had one big role but that was awhile ago and hasn’t been back to Jersey in more than 6 years. Some of his old friends are cemetery workers and he meets up with them at his mom’s funeral. After hanging out with them he ends up meeting a girl at a doctor’s office and their relationship begins to blossom. He then decides to go back to L.A. putting a strain on his relationship and leaving unresolved issues with his overbearing, psychiatrist father.

If My Opinion Actually Mattered:
It’s amazing how well Braff does on his first film. At first I thought the fact that I was from the Garden State myself was the reason I enjoyed the flick so much, but after hearing some other in theatre comments, I can tell this movie deserves it’s accolades. Braff takes the time to get you into his head and you truly believe this is what his life may have been like at one point. This is definitely the best romantic comedy of the year and I say that confidently in August. At the very least, Braff’s screenplay deserves an Oscar nom.

The 8 Buck Test:
I really can’t say enough about this movie. I see movies practically every night of the week, and don’t have time to see one more than once. I’ve seen this one 3 times already. Braff is really endearing with his dark humor and truly romantic storyline. The moments he creates between his character and his father, played by Holm, will surely ring true with many men. And there’s Natalie Portman. Her quirkiness in this movie and ability to carry on a significant side-plot with Braff while he’s dealing with so much other drama in his life is dead-on. I definitely haven’t seen this kind of caliber acting from her since The Professional, which she did when she was 13 years old. I don’t think the Academy has the balls to give her the actress nomination she deserves for this film, but I do, and I’m telling you she deserves it. It should startle every Garden State watcher how well Barff does on his first attempt. Huge buzz at Sundance has this film gearing up for a decent profit as well. As far as your wallet is concerned, if the average movie ticket costs 8 bucks, I’d be willing to spend 20 on this movie. And I’m po’. (That’s so poor, I can’t afford the r.)

Don’t Miss This:
Movie trivia time. I spoke to Braff about casting Portman and he said he wrote it with her in mind but had no idea she would agree to make it. She agreed to star in the role as soon as she finished reading the script. Braff is from South Orange, New Jersey, which is why he knows the state so well. Speaking of his past, there’s an interesting Six Degrees of Separation (SDS) kind of link between Braff and Portman. Braff attended Columbia High School with Ahmed Best. He’s the guy who did the voice of Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequels, which of course, Portman is in as well.