Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Andrew returns to his hometown for the funeral of his mother, a journey that reconnects him with past friends. The trip coincides with his decision to stop taking his powerful antidepressants. A chance meeting with Sam - a girl also suffering from various maladies - opens up the possibility of rekindling emotional attachments, confronting his psychologist father, and perhaps beginning a new life.
Garden State has a genuinely distinctive voice — Braff's quirky indie aesthetic, the deadpan emotional numbness giving way to awakening, and its specific early-2000s melancholic-yet-whimsical tone make it feel singular for its moment. The cinematography has memorable visual ideas (the wallpaper scene, the quarry sequence) that elevate it above typical indie fare. Acting is serviceable with Portman's charm carrying much of the emotional weight, though Braff himself is somewhat flat (intentionally or not). The plot is thin and episodic, held together more by mood than narrative drive. The ending, however, is a genuine weak point — the airport scene resolves the emotional tension in a rushed, somewhat unearned way that undercuts the film's more patient earlier work.