This film really resonated with me back in the mid 2000s. Finished high school and felt all the feels from this film. Listened to the sound track a lot. Meeting new people, trying to find love. Today when I put on one of those songs it pulls me right back to that time in my life.
I really love this movie. This is one of my favorite movies, because this is the first movie I had ever watched. “if you cannot laugh at yourself, life’s gonna seem whole lot longer than you’d like…”
This movie is actually genius. I used to think it was meh when I was a lad. So I guess I sort of understand why people hate on it. But if you take it basically as a realist philosophical discourse of life as a 20 something and that haunting empty feeling that creeps up at times. Someone in the comments section said "spoiler alert they yell into a big hole at the end" it must have flew completely over their head that they were yelling into the future, into the mysteries of the joys and tragedies of life, and that was him finally letting go accepting pain and the unknown and actually embracing life embracing the abyss no matter what the future held with the kiss. There's actually some heavy imagery in this film. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that I've lived in new jersey my whole life and it seems to capture some sort of nostalgic real feeling of the indescribable early 2000's it manages to be sad yet uplifting. If you felt that you didnt like it id urge you to watch it again with a bit more patience and open eyes. Or don't but that meaning will be lost to you. But I see why this has become a cult classic, and I'm glad I went back to give it a second shot. It doesn't use flashy explosions or cgi but something very intrinsic and real and captures a certain place and era Look again.
jaivas16 in what way? Everyone who is a young adult and doesn’t come from the most stable home life can pretty much relate to this film. What exactly do you mean?
One of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Great movie too, I may love it purely for nostalgic reasons but the cinematography and acting are beautifully done.
You're "in it" right now. This movie is gold. Going through this myself at 27 I can totally tell you, this movie is all about context and lack of it. At this age you feel as if nothing has permanence or relevance. His mom just died, his job just ended, and he's back where he started again in New Jersey. This is also why they're burning the chair at his rich friend's house who just got all this money from his new silent velcro patent... because they're in their late 20s and they don't know what the fuck they're doing with their life. None of his friends have any context or purpose with their life at this age, for better or worse, and he tries to develop his own sense of purpose, constructing a frame of reference for his reality, putting a close to the previous chapters of his life of which he had been so withdrawn from himself as he was perpetually instilled with this idea of being ill. He became cognisant this and the fact that his depression really just stems from a giant void of which he's afraid. The lack of a sense of home. A lack of a sense of pertinence of what others have decided for him. This idea of lacking any frame of reference is also hinted when wearing the shirt that matches the wall paper, its a frame that was picked out for him by someone else for him to wear that holds no pertinence and makes no sense and is contributing to his confusion which is keeping him depressed. The lack of control over keeping his job on the small end and on the major end, the lack of control over the feelings of overwhelming guilt and shame that he caused the accident that lead to his moms suicide; I love how he gains that control back and vindicates himself saying it was merely an accident and that a quarter inch piece of plastic should not have determined his whole life output. He finally erupts from this cocoon of dis-empowerment when he finally submits to just rolling with this sense of acceptance of the unexpected, going on weird adventures with Natalie Portman's character ending up with Redman in sketchy hotels.There is an actual void in this movie to metaphorically embody the void in their soul, and they face it down collectively.. and while screaming down at it, they gain some sort of validation of their existence by saying fuck you to their void. This is a movie that really hits home for a lot of people. I'll leave it at that, it's also a film/movie that makes me want to write my own movie.
I keep rewatching this movie every few years and I always find something new in it that makes me cry. It made me when I was an angsty teenager and it still makes me cry now that in my thirties. This movie is just incredible. It's so beautiful and touching and honest and it makes me believe that I was not alone in feeling all these weird things, the strange sensation of depersonalization and displacement, the sinking feeling of burned bridges. Thank you Zach Braff. Incredible.
its basically about this guy who comes back home to new jersey for his moms funeral after leaving 9 years before. and while there, he meets sam (portman), runs into old high school friends and tries to reconnect with his past life, and eventually, himself. great movie.
20th anniversary…and this film still means so much to me. It’s not the actual plot…it’s just the vibe…this was life in the early 2000’s. The listlessness…the ennui…the desert storm trading cards… A perfect film for its set and setting.
I love this movie, it's definitely among my top films of all time. It really shows that Zach Braff is a serious actor, not just "JD from Scrubs". Braff is a real talent, and I can't wait to see what he brings us in the future.
I am learning English and am confused with the word, "literally." Is it a filler word like, "uh." What's the difference between "I literally enjoyed every second of it" and "I enjoyed every second of it?"
The word “literally” has lost it’s real meaning in recent times and more or less has become a filler word. Most people don’t use it correctly...but it’s become acceptable to use it in virtually any sentence in any context. “Literally” means “taking words in their usual or most basic sense without metaphor or allegory.” So in this comments example, if the person “literally” enjoyed every second of the movie, that means they enjoyed each and every individual second of the movie, without any exception. Example of incorrect use: one video showed a human who took in a cat and cared for it. A person wrote “she literally became the cat’s mom.” No. She didn’t. If she was “literally” the cat’s mom, she would be the actual, biological cat’s mom, as in, a cat. The human was acting as a caregiver. She cannot “literally” be the cat’s mom, it’s physically impossible.
literally the life story of me and my-then-girlfriend-now-wife of 20 years. instead of asking the question at the end, i said '' let's get married and see what happens, what do you say ? '' and she said '' yes, let's do it '' when both of us were broke penniless and i didn't even have a place to stay on top of that. now we 're still going strong with 2 beautiful kids, 2 houses and a car. life couldn't get any better at the age of 44 i think. i have to add that it has one of the best soundtracks i've ever heard.
Zach was the reason I finally saw this movie. I have to say it was a great film, he done a good job write this flick. Perfect cast; great leading lady, Natalie Portman, and now top five on my all-times list. 1. Pulp Fiction 2. The Godfather 3. The Departed 4. Almost Famous 5. Garden State
Favorite movie of all time. So many lessons and views. I never thought i'd get so much out of a movie. Zach Braff, dude. You're amazing. If my heart was a movie, it would be this one.
Some people have criticized this movie for taking too much time to have little visual gags, but I think that's part of what sets the tone of the film, and it's important.
when i first got this movie on dvd, i was watching it at least once a night for a few weeks. it has the perfect combo: off beat humor, beautiful look (composition, cinematography, etc), amazing actors, incredible soundtrack...
wow i just watched this, i only feel 80% more lonelier, mum died last year so i had that connection.... its just so beautifully dysfunctional... mmmmmm 5/7 great movie. ;-;
I watched the movie when it first came out in the theaters and on and off over the past few years and now almost 20 years later, I can put some context to what I felt then and still feel now : this movie has a TIMELESS/UNIVERSAL quality. Even though it's set in New Jersey America, it feels mythic and like a Hero's coming of Age story. Nothing that Zach Braff has done since seems as monumental as this film.
I love this movie so much because this was my introduction to him. I first saw him as a serious actor. Now I also love Scrubs. ☺ But I'm glad I saw this first. This was truly a labor of love. I remember walking out of a theater in my teens and this had blown my mind.
it's a weirdly adorable film... at first, i wasn't sure if i liked it, but after portman appeared, it kept getting better and better. i loved the script, especially when they talk about family home getting lost... and of course the kiss! it's a great movie, if you like films that are far from the ordinary (in a good way)
i went to the movies to watch this flick.. fell in love with it the first 5 minutes, coldplay was playing. but not because of coldplay, the whole movie and soundtrack was mesmerising.
he was emotionaless in the beginning, plane crashing... hes adjusting the air. end the of the movie, he is back in the plane, but realizes he cant run away from his emotions and goes back to Sam to face the music. im getting goosebumps thinking about this movie... master piece of a movie..
I could still remember the feelin' after watching this movie, and thought to myself...wow that was such a great movie!!! they dont make movie that can touches people like that anymore...
I really love this movie. This is one of my favorite movies, because this is the first movie I had ever watched. “if you cannot laugh at yourself, life’s gonna seem whole lot longer than you’d like…”
i agree. i'd put away, and then 4-6 months later i'll rediscover it and watch nonstop a couple of days in a row. also, i like to have it on in the background to fall asleep too.
I worked at a movie theatre for 3.5 years, and of ALL the films that were released this was one of the top 3 that really moved me emotionaly was Garden State.
One of the greatest films ever! When it came out back in 2004, went to see it twice at the cinema. I haven't count how many times I have seen it on dvd ... :) ~ Ian FOREVER ~
I watched this movie when I was 12 I didn't know the exact meaning of the movie at that time,now I am 22 and I watch this movie to cop with my depression
I really love this movie. This is one of my favorite movies, because this is the first movie I had ever watched. “if you cannot laugh at yourself, life’s gonna seem whole lot longer than you’d like…”
I love this movie, I always have. It's my number one. I can't begin to explain what this movie does for me, makes me feel, wtc. It'll always be my favourite.
I really love this movie. This is one of my favorite movies, because this is the first movie I had ever watched. “if you cannot laugh at yourself, life’s gonna seem whole lot longer than you’d like…”
wretched movie, with unredeemably hateable characters...i was hoping for a massive fireball to drop from the sky and consume all of the characters, in an ecstasy of flaming self-absorption...alas, no luck...
i LOVE this movie. One my top fav movies of all time. By the way, the song in the beginning is from the album: "Give Up" by postal service. One of the best albums ever made, its glorious. The soundtrack to this album is great to. Its all fantastic lol
