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Braff is from New Jersey and it's to that Garden State that his character Andrew Largeman returns from a stalled acting career in Hollywood after years of estrangement from his family. There have been problems. He's on medications that keep him in a state of emotional catatonia. It's no wonder Andrew received such praise as a retarded quarterback in a movie and is frequently asked if he actually is retarded. His career isn't going well; in a profession that requires that emotions be accessible, he's at a severe disadvantage. He barely makes ends meet by working as a waiter in a Vietnamese restaurant.

When his mother dies - she drowns in a tub within a bathroom she lovingly had remodeled - he decides he must return for the funeral and the inevitable confrontation with his affluent and distant father (Ian Holm). They get on so well that, rather than speaking with him, his father left a message on Andrew's answering machine to tell him of his mother's death. Perhaps fearing that his psychoactive drugs will subdue his grief, Andrew decides to take himself of medication before leaving Los Angeles.

Once home, he gets together with old friends and ultimately finds himself at a raucous party. His medications have significant half-lives and their effects subside slowly. His chemical effects on his induced suppressed emotions are never clearer as we watch him at the party. All around him, partygoers go a little wild while he sits on a couch in a state of wakeful sleep. He watches, he observes, his friends try to draw him into the fun, even a passionate kiss by a sexy young woman barely seems to stir him; he's as responsive as fresh Sushi.

Circumstances bring him to a neurologist's office, where he has a cute meet - thanks to an overly affectionate dog - with a bubbly and seemingly open young woman named Sam (Natalie Portman). Her outgoing vivaciousness masks her self-conscious discomfort with her epilepsy, and Sam frequently hides behind extemporaneous lies. She is Andrew's polar opposite. Where Andrew is withdrawn, Sam embraces life and its experiences. Andrew is emotionally suppressed; Sam is exquisitely in touch with her emotions. So sensitive is Sam that, in the backyard of her mother's modest home, she's created a little fenced-in cemetery in which she gently inters her dead pets (based on the number of graves, she has a real problem keeping them alive).

They apparently share a mutual attraction, for they begin to spend more and more time together. When he joins her to put to rest the latest victim of unintentional neglect - Jelly, a hamster found belly up in his cage - she inspires other feelings in him, feelings related to his loss. Sam draws him out, and he begins to feel the stirring of emotions long absent.

Andrew slowly awakens from his emotional catatonia and begins to reclaim his life. We learn why he was medicated and who did the medicating. Like peeling an artichoke, Braff slowly reveals the layers of truth that underlie Andrew's life. There is guilt, and there is tragedy. But as he finds resolution and love - he even manages to have a meaningful confrontation with his father - we're left to believe that Andrew is once again among the living.

All this sounds very heavy indeed, and this film would sink of its own weight in angst if it weren't for the humor and quirky characters woven skillfully into the drama. Garden State is laugh out loud funny as it delicately balances wit with its emotional core. The excellent collection of supporting players reminds me of the ensembles found in Gilmore Girls or Northern Exposure. Their characters are ever so slightly eccentric and odd, but in an entertaining way - never annoying or cloying, an affectionate look at quirkiness. Braff's challenge as an actor is to provoke the audience's affection for Andrew while limiting his ability to convey emotion. He succeeds, but perhaps credit must be given to the plot device of seeing him through Sam's eyes. Portman is very likeable as the vulnerable and waiflike Sam; she's so appealing that her growing affection for Andrew must have sent a strong subliminal message. This is a lovely little film that occasional drifts off into distracting thematic side trips, but it always returns to its main themes. Garden State smacks of witty writing, intelligence, a savvy instinct for detail, and good performances.

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film's theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is presented in anamorphic video. This is another excellent transfer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Only the most modest edge halos are present, and they don't interfere with conveying fine textures and small object details; they are well above average. Color accuracy, based on flesh tones, is very natural. Shadow detail is great. I noticed no compression artifacts.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is quite good but predominantly front centric. Occasionally some random sound or ambiance effect may be heard in the surrounds, but the focus is clearly toward the screen. There is much source music in various states of production processing. Some cuts seem quite transparent; some seem quite artificial. There is a bit of original scoring by Chad Fisher, which is recorded dryly and has a nice sense of presence. Sound effects simply support the onscreen action and don't call attention to themselves. The dialog is the core element in this soundtrack at it remains crystal clear throughout.

The alternate language is in Spanish, presented in Dolby Surround 2.0. The audio is supported by subtitles in French, Spanish, and English, for which Closed Captions are also included.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

The first two supplements are feature-length commentaries. The first is by Zach Braff and Natalie Portman. They are both pleasantly chatty. She assumes the role of interviewer, asking questions and occasionally challenging the logic of a scene. They offer anecdotes and reminiscences related to both the making of the film and what was happening behind the scenes. They giggled over how their craft services people roasted a pig on a spit at the curb of a Livingston, New Jersey house used as a location and owned by a Jewish family that kept Kosher. The pig had to be kept off the property. He offers comments about his players and working with Portman, in particular. Lighthearted and informal, they seemed quite comfortable in front of the microphones. Perhaps Natalie will do a commentary for the Revenge of the Sith DVD.

For the second commentary, Braff is joined by cinematographer Lawrence Sher, editor Myron Kerstein, and production designer Judy Becker. This track reveals more about the technical details of the shoot. The commentary is both jovial and informative. I like the banter and ease with which they interact. It is dense with information and I'm grateful that both commentaries avoid the sin of narration and character motivation analysis. And without Portman in the room to object or be embarrassed, the second commentary gave Braff and his fellow filmmakers the opportunity to heap praise on her performance.

Next is a full screen featurette, an abridged video diary of The Making of Garden State (27:30). This is a delightfully revealing documentary that clearly demonstrates the nature of low budget independent film production. Cast, crew, and support services all have a chance to express themselves. This is substance rather than fluff, very nicely done.

There is a substantial collection of sixteen deleted scenes that may be played individually or sequentially, with or without commentary by Braff, Sher, Kerstein, and Becker. Many are extensions of existing scenes, some are simple deletions, and the inclusion of any would have either changed the tone of the film or adversely affected the pace. For example, the confrontation scene between Andrew and his father is much harsher here, and it would have been quite inappropriate in the theatrical cut.

I enjoyed the outtakes and bloopers (3:20). The actors' laughter is contagious. Finally, there is a brief Soundtrack Promo Spot (0:32); that must be CD that won the Grammy.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?

There are no DVD-ROM features on this DVD.

Final Thoughts