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Garden State

Posted on 2/11/24 at 9:06 pm
Posted by Gifman
Member since Jan 2021
12512 posts
Posted on 2/11/24 at 9:06 pm
Seeing all of these commercials with Zach Braff make me wonder why he didn’t act in more movies. Him and Portman killed it in this one. Feel like it just captured something. What do y’all think?
Posted by Pax Regis
Alabama
Member since Sep 2007
13672 posts
Posted on 2/11/24 at 9:09 pm to
Always wondered the same thing. Guy is a talented actor, and he just kinda fell off the earth.
Posted by PurpleandGold Motown
Birmingham, Alabama
Member since Oct 2007
22636 posts
Posted on 2/11/24 at 9:10 pm to
I think he does more writing/directing these days.

Last Kiss was great too.

I don't think he really ever loved acting as much as writing and directing.
Posted by adavis
North of I-10
Member since Aug 2007
5801 posts
Posted on 2/11/24 at 9:55 pm to
Great movie and fantastic soundtrack. Last Kiss also
Posted by Fewer Kilometers
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2007
36665 posts
Posted on 2/11/24 at 10:27 pm to
quote:

Garden State
Very by-the-numbers indie film. He checked every generic indie box. Dialed the quirky up to eleven and got his Independent Spirit Award nominations.
Posted by PhilipMarlowe
Member since Mar 2013
20882 posts
Posted on 2/11/24 at 10:39 pm to
And a Grammy for his mix tape soundtrack.
Posted by boston vol
Lexington-Fayette, KY
Member since Sep 2015
5857 posts
Posted on 2/11/24 at 11:05 pm to
quote:

Zach Braff make me wonder why he didn’t act in more movies

Probably made a shite ton of money doing scrubs.
Posted by SUB
Silver Tier TD Premium
Member since Jan 2009
22137 posts
Posted on 2/11/24 at 11:35 pm to
His T Mobile commercials make me want to claw my eyes out. He and Turk were funny in Scrubs but they suck arse in these commercials.
Posted by This GUN for HIRE
Member since May 2022
3228 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 12:29 am to
You should probably just close them. I've had my left eye sitting on my cheek before. Not too fun
Posted by mizzoubuckeyeiowa
Member since Nov 2015
36758 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 12:48 am to
Soundtrack was great. Liked it at the time. But its a time and place movie.

Sorta Indie Cringe now that we learned the blueprint. I think the likeness of it is fine for then. But that was then, this is now.

I mean, I had this good opinion of Reality Bites in my youth. Try to watch it now. God that movie is a pretentious turd.

There's a reason Indies have a short shelf-life, they cater to youth and current issues and angst. Well, your audience grows up...and everyone behind them won't get it and frankly doesn't give a shite. Its not easy to make timeless movies.
This post was edited on 2/12/24 at 12:50 am
Posted by TouchedTheAxeIn82
near the Apple spaceship
Member since Nov 2012
5844 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 1:56 am to

I really liked it at the time. But I started seeing it differently when I read how Portman's character was one of the prototypes for the manic pixie dream girl.

Apparently the film is looking worse and worse in retrospect, and Zach is still responding to critics...

variety.com/2023/film/news/zach-braff-garden-state-hatred-manic-pixie-dream-girl-backlash-1235560324/

Now I want to watch it again...
Posted by skrayper
21-0 Asterisk Drive
Member since Nov 2012
31773 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 10:21 am to
I always find it weird when people measure movies based on trends that didn't exist when they made it.

Like, sure, some things I get, but the movie that predates all the things people hate about Indie films NOW isn't the fault of the movie. It's not their fault everyone copied them.

Imagine if people read Lord of the Rings and were like, "Pfft. Elves and orcs? Talk about fantasy trope 101!"
Posted by SG_Geaux
Beautiful St George, LA
Member since Aug 2004
78999 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 10:31 am to
quote:

Garden State



One of my guilty pleasure movies.
Posted by skrayper
21-0 Asterisk Drive
Member since Nov 2012
31773 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 10:47 am to
I remember seeing the original trailer and immediately deciding that I wanted to see it (a great use of imagery without context):

Garden State Trailer (Let It Go song)

I do find this annoying:

quote:

Sam, is often cited as one of the worst offenders of the “manic pixie dream girl” stereotype, which describes a quirky female character whose main narrative purpose is to save their male counterpart and teach him about the meaning of love and life.


I mean, that trope isn't their fault - other people copied their success (for Indie films specifically), and the term wasn't even coined until 2007.

As someone who married one of those "manic pixie dream girls", I can assure you they do exist (but I promise you she wasn't there to teach me about love and life - we just enjoy experiencing it together)...

That being said, if we had gotten together 10 years earlier, then yeah, she probably would have - I was a pretty miserable cuss then. I doubt she would've even wanted to date me.
Posted by Krane
Member since Oct 2017
1471 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 10:48 am to
Garden State blows but I’m happy that you got to marry Natalie Portman or Zooie Deschanel or whoever
Posted by Locoguan0
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Nov 2017
5274 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 10:59 am to
quote:

Always wondered the same thing. Guy is a talented actor, and he just kinda fell off the earth.


Like most sitcom actors, he tried to become a movie actor, but it never really worked out. He does a lot of voice over stuff. He also headlined in Bullets Over Broadway for a bit. He had a one season run over a sitcom, Alex, Inc., which was just not funny.
Posted by Fewer Kilometers
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2007
36665 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 10:59 am to
quote:

I always find it weird when people measure movies based on trends that didn't exist when they made it.
There's not a single trend that didn't preexist before Garden State made use of it. Braff just used them all so blatantly that they were instantly identifiable.
Posted by paperwasp
11x HRV tRant Poster of the Week
Member since Sep 2014
25011 posts
Posted on 2/12/24 at 11:02 am to
quote:

he tried to become a movie actor, but it never really worked out

Braff got the Scrubs gig and immediately quit his regular job, but production didn't start right away so he began writing Garden State instead.

He ended up directing several episodes of Scrubs and became an executive producer at one point.

Looking at his IMDB, he also still has roles in various mediums like podcasts, and it seems he's written and produced the upcoming movie Good Person with Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman, in which he doesn't appear.

In other words, it seems like maybe his passions are behind the camera and not necessarily in front of it.
Posted by Havoc
Member since Nov 2015
31309 posts
Posted on 2/14/24 at 6:58 pm to
Many great moments in the movie, one of my favorite being the party scene ending with In The Waiting Line. I would have loved if it could have extended longer. Just the perfect vibe.
Posted by Honest Tune
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2011
17141 posts
Posted on 2/14/24 at 7:07 pm to
This was one of those movies one of my college girlfriends took me to go see, and I fought it tooth and nail, but ended up liking it and the soundtrack. But due to my fixed position I maintained that I really didn’t like it. Total bullshite. It was damn good.
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