 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Garden State
- Review Date: December 27, 2004
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 2004
Common Sense Media says
Smart drama for mature older teens and up.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
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.
What's the story?
In GARDEN STATE, Andrew Largeman (director/writer Zach Braff) returns home to New Jersey for his mother's funeral. Andrew's psychiatrist father has prescribed powerful psychotropic medication for him since he was a child. But Largeman leaves all of his medications behind when he goes home. He has not really felt anything in a long time, and this may be the time to begin to try. Largeman is trying to make it as an actor in Los Angeles. He had a prominent role, but still supports himself as a waiter. In New Jersey, he catches up with high school friends including gravedigger Mark (Peter Sarsgaard), along with a cop, and the investor of "noiseless Velcro," who has tons of money but is just as lost as the others. Waiting to see a doctor about his headaches, Largeman meets Sam (Natalie Portman), who manages to give the typical "quirky romantic interest who shows up to give the lead a reason to want and hope for more out of life" role a genuine, effervescent, and endearing -- well, quirkiness.
Is it any good?
Going home again helps Largeman understand who he is and who he wants to be. What is just as enriching is seeing how this movie is helping writer/director/star Braff learn who he is and wants to be. While there are some clumsy detours, Garden State is filled with outstanding performances and moments of great authenticity, sensitivity, and heart. A hungover breakfast with Mark, his mother (Jean Smart), and a young man in a suit of armor is a small masterpiece of acting. And a scene near the end in an ark-like structure at the bottom of a canyon is deliriously but matter-of-factly audacious.
Braff's control of tone, mastery of image and feel for creating moments of moments of great sweetness and insight, and his willingness to hold back and not tell us everything about his characters to make them feel like they exist beyond what we see on screen are the qualities of a great film-maker. He makes us want to follow Largeman's journey as a man and continue with him on his own journey as a film-maker.
What 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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AGE
Good movie
Good movie, i'm not normally into this kind of genre, but it's actually good. Great soundtrack as well. There's a brief scene where they're in a back room of some building and there's multiple sexual things going on. Luckily it doesn't last long. Lots of drug use portrayed and lots of swearing. Don't let these things turn you off though. It's a great movie
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AGE
Great!
An amazing film, but it really earns its R-rating, I had to skip two or three scenes throughout.
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AGE
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.
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AGE
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.
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AGE
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.
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| Studio: | Fox Searchlight |
| Director: | Zach Braff |
| Cast: | Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Zach Braff |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 109 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 30, 2004 |
| DVD release date: | December 28, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | language, drug use and a scene of sexuality |
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