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Garden State

(2004, Rated R, Drama, Starring Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Zach Braff)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Smart drama for mature older teens and up.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–17

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Positive portrayal of a person with a disability.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Tense emotional scenes, reference to suicide.
  • Sex:

    Brief but explicit sex scenes and many sexual references.
  • Language:

    Very strong language.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Frequent drug and alcohol use and smoking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Garden State

Parents need to know that this movie has extensive substance abuse. Characters smoke, drink, and take a lot of drugs. There are brief but explicit sex scenes and many sexual references, including a young man who is unhappy about his mother's affair with a younger man. Characters use very strong language and engage in risky and foolish behavior. There is a discussion of suicide and mental illness. One character is a thief. A strength of the movie is its positive portrayal of a person with a disability.

Read our full review by Nell Minow

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about why it was so difficult for Largeman to talk to his father. Why was it important to the story that his father is a psychiatrist?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    the drugs portray a POSITIVE message.

    Alright this is one of my favorite movies. yes there are a lot of drugs sex and language, but the reason i would recommend it to 14 and up is because that's the age kids are becoming someone and that can be good or bad. this movie gives a great portrayal of the NEGATIVE effects of promiscuity and drugs. this movie shows that he is BETTER WITHOUT the drugs. he feels alive again because of love. i certainly think that's something 14 yr olds could learn about. as far as the inappropriate things.. just don't show it if you have a kid in THAT stage where they're gonna repeat every curse word or sexual innuendo.

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Minnesota
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Georgia
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

    I cried I laughed but not at the same time

    This movie was very good and i thought the beggining was a little iffy but it just kept getting better and had some sad parts(aka hamster)and tons of funny ones. If you want something that will change your life watch this or listen to some of The Shins.

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Arizona
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

    Great!

    An amazing film, but it really earns its R-rating, I had to skip two or three scenes throughout.

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

  6. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

  7. Adult Reviewer
    Anonymous
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0

  8. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

    One of the best movies I've seen in awhile..

    "Garden State" is the story of a young man feeling responsible for his mother's death who returns home to New Jersey (hence the title) for a weekend visit. Numbed by drugs his father prescribed since a young age, Andrew Largeman slowly regains his sense of feelings as he meets up with a cast of quirky and very belivable characters, one of which with he shares a powerful romance. The story will make you think, the direction is beautiful and interesting, and the emotion may just as long make you cry and laugh along. It's a great first movie for writer/director Zach Braff, who also stars as Largeman. As for kids, this is NOT a family film. Most of the jokes, allusions (both literal and metaphorical), sexual content, drug use and ideas captured are far too over kid's heads. I highly reccomend this movie to mature young teens, older teens and adults for a good dose of one of those rare "gem of a movies". You won't regret it.

  9. Adult Reviewer
    Anonymous
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 4.0

  10. Adult Reviewer
    Anonymous
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 4.0

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