Garden State

Garden State
$14.98
9.6 THE FILM ITSELF
8.1 VISUALS
9.5 SOUND
8.5 PACKAGING
7.5 EXTRAS

Let's state the facts: This is not Zach Braff from Scrubs. On that show, he plays J.D., here he plays Andrew Largeman. They're two entirely different characters and these are two entirely different comedies. They may both have heart, jokes and serious moments, but I know some people will just not accept that Zach Braff has made a (mostly) serious film that centers around a man finally learning to feel.

All I'll say to the plot is simply that Andrew Largeman (Braff) comes home from L.A. after a family accident, and while home he spends time with some new and old people from his past. And his time spent with these people allow him to begin to feel again (that and leaving his medication at home helps) and be a whole person. Sounds heavy, does it? Well, it is. But there is also some great humor here. But again, not Scrubs humor at all, but humor on a completely different level, and it's genious.

8.1 VISUALS
For being a low-budget indie flick, it certainly doesn't look the part. Granted, the film is just focusing on people, very little special effects and this is certainly not an action film at all, but the nice mixture of colors makes for an enjoyable visual.

9.5 SOUND
Garden State boasts one of the best soundtrack in film history. It's not just me saying that, Braff won a Grammy for his stellar selection of tunes here. And it really makes the film that much more enjoyable.

8.5 PACKAGING
Arriving to DVD in a standard case, I love the cover and the quiet main menu with a great song. Options are easy to read and the screen is easy to navigate and really prepares you for the film.

7.5 EXTRAS
Garden State comes with two commentaries. Both have Braff, and one is just him and Natalie Portman. Both are pretty good and Braff offers some great dialogue and some hilarious stories about filming. The other commentary is very detailed based on making the film.

16 Deleted scenes with optional commentary are also included. Total time for deleted scenes is about 42 minutes and some of them are pretty great. Commentary isn't really necessary.

"The Making of Garden State" is a short look at the behind the scenes of the film, lightly touching on topics such as the boat and the pool. Some characters and creators make comments about the filming.

"Outtakes / Bloopers" round out the set. There's not much here, but decent nonetheless.

FINAL VERDICT
Garden State is essentially a simple love story. But, it's so much more than that. Girls will be able to fall in love with the simple tale, but guys will also be able to enjoy it without having the love story slammed down their throats. The commentaries are also a fun listen and are the most enjoyable of the special features.

9.2/10 "OUTSTANDING"

Rites of Passage 3 Pack (Garden State / Stealing Beauty / Thirteen)
$24.98
Includes the following titles: Disk 1: GARDEN STATE Disk 2: STEALING BEAUTY Disk 3: THIRTEEN

Little Miss Sunshine
$14.98
I always keep my reviews short, I hate to bore people as much as the movie.
I guess because of the cast the movie was pumped up so much.
I wouldn't buy this movie but rent it first then you can decide.

Natalie Portman Celebrity Pack (Anywhere But Here, Garden State, Where the Heart Is)
$29.99
This compilation is just great. Anywhere but here is my favorite of the 3, and it has one of the best Natalie Portman performances ever.