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Garden State is...

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E

Echoes of Pink

Member
...an amazing movie. I highly suggest that everyone try and see it. Its very well written with amazing performances by Braff and Portman and its also funny too...there are a lot of small bits that merit a good laugh. The comedy doesn't detract from the main message though. Overall its a really heartfelt movie and I'd have to say its probably my favorite movie this year with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind in a tight second. What can I say, I'm a sucker for these odd movies. :p

If you don't believe me then just look at rottentomatoes.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/garden_state/
 
D

Dan

No longer boycotting the Wolfenstein franchise
It opened in a few places in NJ today, so I'm gonna head out and catch it this weekend. Beats paying for train fare into NYC only to pay a fortune for a ticket.
 
E

Echoes of Pink

Member
Yeah, its an extremely limited release right now. Only one theater in all of Philadelphia had it and it was relatively small. Luckily my friend and I got there in time to nab two of the remaining three tickets.
 
M

Matrix

LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world he’d rather have. The problem is, Dwyane’s not a woman.
My movie of the year next to Spider-man 2,I loved it.
 
M

MetatronM

Unconfirmed Member
I wish the closest theater to me playing it wasn't 40 minutes away. :(

Hopefully it will open in a few more theaters next weekend. One would think more movie theaters in New Jersey would play a movie called "Garden State."
 
F

FortNinety

Member
... really bad.

I hate to say this, since I know the whole world loves this film, but it was one of the worst films I've seen in quite a while (the crown for the worst goes to Supersize Me).

The thing was, I really wanted to like this flick, and I had high expectations since all my friends (at least the ones who opinions I trust) were gushing about it.

I did enjoy the acting, but found the story to be trite and predictable beyond belief. I have to admit, I don't like romance/relationship films normally, but I have seen good ones in recent years (Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Amile) to know that I don't hate them.

The fact that there's quite a few things in common between myself and the main character (sorry, but I'm not willing to go into details here, so you'll have to take my word for it) made the film almost insulting to me at a certain degree, but I know it's just me.

At a certain point I starting going, "this is where he's going to.." and he does, and this happened pretty much the entire last half of the film.

Sorry, but I had to get this off my chest. Commence with the hate...
 
H

heavy liquid

Member
It was an enjoyable movie for me. The acting was good, the characters good... But I've seen the story many times before in a lot of other movies. The main thing that annoyed me was the tacked on feel-good ending.
 
M

Mason

Member
I thought it was excellent. Especially for a writing/directorial debut. I think perhaps it resonated more with me because of my relationship with my parents and also a few of the quirks that the characters had that are similar to those in people I know.
 
C

Celicar

Banned
I really, really want to see this. I've heard nothing buy positive things about it, but the movie is only playing at the crappy theater in my city. I'm gonna hold out and see if it doesn't get a wider release and hopefully show up in the good theater.
 
C

carpal

Member
Echoes of Pink said:
Yeah, its an extremely limited release right now. Only one theater in all of Philadelphia had it and it was relatively small. Luckily my friend and I got there in time to nab two of the remaining three tickets.
Click to expand...

Which theater?
 
H

human5892

Queen of Denmark
The trailer makes it look like a really typical twentysomething angsty movie, with a bit of artsy-fartsy shots thrown in to spice things up.

My girlfriend wants to see it, though, so I suppose I'll go.
 
D

distantmantra

Member
Zach Braff has a good ear for music, I really loved the use of The Shins, Zero 7 and Iron and Wine's cover of Such Great Heights (they should've used the first few lines instead of the chorus, but oh well) in the film.
 
M

Mike Works

Member
I just got back from it, and this was one of the most amazing films I've ever seen. It was the first film to really emotionally touch and effect me since Schindlers List. If you even remotely enjoyed Eternal Sunshine and/or Lost in Translation, I have to recommend this movie over anything else.
 
M

MrCheez

President/Creative Director of Grumpyface Studios
omg going to see it tonight! =D

We have to drive all the way to Scottsdale though, ugh. ><
 
B

border

Member
I don't think it has even opened at any theatres in Florida, but I got to see it this week since I visited Boston! The theatre was like miles and miles from my hotel, so it was a pretty grueling walk through downtown Brookline/Boston at night, but it was worth it.

I thought it was a great movie, probably my second favorite film of the year. I like how it's never totally a comedy, never totally a romance, never totally a coming-of-age flick. The way the movie presents Largeman's friends seems a bit weird.

I'm not understanding the complaint that it is predictable, though....what exactly can you predict? A lot of people throw on that criticism only when they have the benefit of hindsight.
Maybe you could say the ending was predictable, but since it's a fairly low-budget indie flick I think that Largeman's return to Sam was pretty much up in the air. Plenty of the small arthouse projects have ended with the lovers separating (or even one of them dying), so in my mind it was never out of the question that he could just take off and leave her. If he goes back to her it's "cliche", if he leaves her then it's a "ripoff" of one of the film's spiritual predecessors, so someone would be bitching about it either way.
 
6

6.8

Member
TheQueen'sOwn said:
Garden State is....

NOW OUT IN OTTAWA!!!!!!
Click to expand...

WHERE. I was thinking of going to see a movie tonight. WHERE? Bytowne? World Exchange? AMC? SILVERCITY!? COLLISEUM?
 
M

Maverick

Member
Finally got to see this movie last night. Incredible. Braff is a genious and I hope he does another movie, and fast.




The whole party scene (how cool was that shot), was so eerily similar to the parties I've been to this year.....And the balls thing...Hillarious. Happens all the time.

9/10

I really thought at the end he was going to get on the plane and it was going to crash like in the beginning of the trailer. Maybe a 2nd ending?
 
L

LinesInTheSand

Banned
Maverick said:
Finally got to see this movie last night. Incredible. Braff is a genious and I hope he does another movie, and fast.




The whole party scene (how cool was that shot), was so eerily similar to the parties I've been to this year.....And the balls thing...Hillarious. Happens all the time.

9/10

I really thought at the end he was going to get on the plane and it was going to crash like in the beginning of the trailer. Maybe a 2nd ending?
Click to expand...


IMDB says it was the "original" ending, but I don't think that's true and seeing as ANYONE can submit information on IMDB it probably isn't. Braff has said in interviews lately that hes a sucker for happy endings. I think the plane crash at the beginning was just to give us that idea though, of course.

Awesome movie! I've been so hyped up for it for months and it definitely did not dissapoint! GO SEE IT NOW!
 
F

FortNinety

Member
Wow, this film sure has it's fans.

border said:
I'm not understanding the complaint that it is predictable, though....what exactly can you predict? A lot of people throw on that criticism only when they have the benefit of hindsight.
Maybe you could say the ending was predictable, but since it's a fairly low-budget indie flick I think that Largeman's return to Sam was pretty much up in the air. Plenty of the small arthouse projects have ended with the lovers separating (or even one of them dying), so in my mind it was never out of the question that he could just take off and leave her. If he goes back to her it's "cliche", if he leaves her then it's a "ripoff" of one of the film's spiritual predecessors, so someone would be bitching about it either way.
Click to expand...

I really have to see the film to point out specifics (sorry, but my memory has been bad as of late), but I do recall at a certain point, I could almost anticipate every single thing that was going to happen on-screen. Actually, I did so for my friend who was sitting next to me (and just before anybody says anything, there was no one around us that night so I wasn't bothering anyone else). The film is just riddled with a ton of cliched, and even the good acting (I really didn't think Braff did that great a job, not horrible, but not brilliant, like most people seem to think he was) could not help.

But the part where I lost it was when
Braff and his gang start yelling at the top of that construction machine (I never saw the image from the movie poster, btw). That was just had me rolling my eyes.

I guess my beef with this film was like when people went nuts over stuff like American Beauty. I mean, if this is the type of films that makes people "open their eyes" well... I guess I lived a different life and have seen a ton of other movies, cuz that's the sentiment I get from some people. And I hate saying shit like that, but I guess I have to since the film is suppose to "revelatory" to a certain extent.

That being said, I'm still not going to damn-ate people for hating this movie and having it "touch" them. But if a film like this gets an Academy Award (which no one has predicted, but I'll the first one to go on record and say that it will do very well I think), I'm gonna be pissed.
 
aparisi2274

aparisi2274

Member
I saw the movie today and man it was a great movie. I love Natalie Portman and I think she is one of the few actresses who know how to pick a good movie role. Aside from her involvement in those shit ass SW prequels, every movie she has been in has been great. From her role in the professional to her role in Beautiful Girls, her ability as an actor never ceases to amaze me. Anyway, I thought she was great in this movie. I thought Zach Braff was great as well. He really did a great job of writing and directing this movie. I do hope he gets some kind of nomination at the oscars. He deserves it. Oh, and the soundtrack to this movie was awesome. I need to pick it up. Anyway, if you havent seen it yet, I suggest you do.

**** (4 Stars).
 
B

BuddyC

Member
I just didn't click with this one, which saddens me because I was SUPER hyped after the first teaser trailer.

I dunno, it was alright. Nothing great though, and the way it ended left a bad taste in my mouth. Not because it was "cliche" or "predictable" but because of the message I inferred from it. Maybe I just identified with the movie too much.
 
F

FortNinety

Member
BuddyChrist83 said:
I just didn't click with this one, which saddens me because I was SUPER hyped after the first teaser trailer.

I dunno, it was alright. Nothing great though, and the way it ended left a bad taste in my mouth. Not because it was "cliche" or "predictable" but because of the message I inferred from it. Maybe I just identified with the movie too much.
Click to expand...

I felt the same exact way.
 
M

Meier

Member
is...INCREDIBLE. Best movie I've seen in so long. Saw the trailer on Eternal Sunshine and have been dying to see it since and it just blew ESoSM and all of my expectations out of the water. Zach Braff is the motherfucking MAN!
 
M

Meier

Member
I <3 Huckabees looks melt your face good as well. Sideways and The Life Aquatic should be amazing too along with a number of others coming out in the next few months. Those 3 are my most anticipated though.
 
P

Paradox

Member
Meier said:
I <3 Huckabees looks melt your face good as well. Sideways and The Life Aquatic should be amazing too along with a number of others coming out in the next few months. Those 3 are my most anticipated though.
Click to expand...


I checked the trailers of those movies and your right. I Heart Huckabees looks fantastic, as long with The Life Aquatic.
 
T

Triumph

Banned
Man. Am I ever glad that I decided to see Garden State on a whim tonight.

Dude from Scrubs. Who knew the guy had some serious writing/directing chops? I'm damn impressed, and I don't damn impress easy.

And yes, I Love Huckabees and Life Aquatic are going to be the veritable Bee's Knees.
 
A

AeroGod

Member
I saw it last night. Such a great movie.

"Somebody's been pissing on my Gamecube. Im about to crack the case."

Best quote from a movie this year. In a theather of about 20 or so people me and my friend were to only two laughing. And we laughed for like 4 minutes after that.
 
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