Sunday, April 5, 2009

Let's go to the movies: Garden State



I saw this when it came out in 2004, but I tivo-ed it and decided to watch it when "Punch drunk love", a movie I ordered on Netflix, wouldn't play in the DVD player.

SIDEBAR: This is the second time that a movie I got from Netflix didn't play and it really screws up the whole cycle of ordering movies. I try to get a "chick flick" to watch early in the week and get a movie Joe and I can watch together for the weekend. I ordered "21 grams", but that wouldn't play so I didn't get my next movie until mid week so I ended up with chick flick "Punch drunk love" for the weekend. Joe went out tonight so it worked out only it didn't play. Hence watching a tivoed movie. I am starting to think that Netflix sort of sucks. I really, really, REALLY like the whole don't-have-to-return-movies-to-the-store thing that got me hooked in the first place so I'll give them another shot. Sidebar over.

I liked this movie the first time around and since so much time has gone by, watching it again was like seeing it for the first time and it was still good. It is pretty sad at times and you think it is going to be this depressing movie about Zach Braff's character, Andrew, being messed up about his mom's death, but it gets you back on board toward the end. He has to leave LA where he works as an actor to go back home for his mom's funeral. His acting career is not really going anywhere and the only work he is able to get in between his serving job is playing a "retarded quarterback". He meets Natalie Portman's character and they go off on adventures while he is home for the first time since he was 16. Natalie was great and is able to be cute and pretty at the same time. Off screen she is the girl who guys fall in love with and girls want to be friends with. She is the perfect leading lady. Great, kooky, charming, endearing characters throughout. It's a little cheesy at times, and Zack does a lot of staring-into-the-camera-trying-to-be-cute, but you can let it go and just be in the moment. We get to follow them along the drug induced, bitch seat, fast food knight, lying epileptic, lightening headache, Jelly funeral of a journey into the abyss.

The soundtrack is really great it even won a Grammy for "Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television or Media". I own a copy and play it all the time. This movie was written and directed by Zach Braff who also plays the main character.

1 comment:

Kate said...

I remember liking the movie at the time when it came out also, but don't remember one thing about it. Probably a good time to see it again. I also love the soundtrack. I think that Zach is probably pretty brilliant.