Garden State

A really great movie👍

Honestly, I expected so much more from this movie.
Maybe I just need to be from New Jersey to actually get what they were going for. 😁

I watched the trailers, and it seemed—well, it looked like just another teen romance, which I would have been totally fine with 😍 but... this kind of "philosophy" is just pathetic and shallow.

That scene toward the end where Natalie Portman and Braf are having that conversation in the tub? That really did it for me.
The absolute nonsense they were spewing out there...

I haven't seen Napoleon Dynamite yet (it had its premiere at the exact same time as The Sunshine State, and the hype around it was just as insane!) and I’m feeling pretty skeptical...

but the music in The Sunshine State is 👍

🙂

So, I finally popped this one into my DVD player about a week ago. Honestly? It’s a total disaster. Just... awful. Boring as hell, the acting is painful to watch, the dialogue is straight-up nonsensical—basically, everything about it is just garbage. It’s your typical, mindless flick about some clueless American kids who have absolutely no idea what they're doing with their lives. 🙄 👎 👎 👎

The only thing that didn't make me want to throw the remote at the wall was the soundtrack, I guess.

And then there's Natalie Portman. Seriously, she went from being in Star Wars to wasting her talent on this absolute trash.🙄

little wonder said:Has anyone actually sat down and watched this movie yet? And if you have, what’s the verdict? I don't think it's even hit theaters here in the States yet, so I'm mostly asking people living abroad or maybe those who already grabbed it online or whatever...
Basically, everyone seems to be raving about it—it even cracked the IMDb Top 250 all-time list! It stars Zach Braff (you know, Dr. John Dorian from Scrubs) and Natalie Portman.

P.S. Does anyone happen to know when it's dropping in American theaters?

It's like, totally normal and super bizarre at the exact same time. Kind of gives me Lost in Translation vibes. It's definitely a solid watch, but I wouldn't say it's in my personal Top 250 ever. Honestly, I don't think I'd even bother watching it a second time.

Brian Moore67 said:I honestly expected way more from this movie.
Maybe I just need to be from New Jersey to actually get what's going on here. 😁

But seriously, yeah—I lived in that exact neighborhood for a year, and let me tell you, if I’d stayed any longer than twelve months, I’d probably be on heavy medication right now. Man, forget South Jersey. The absolute dark side of living down there is basically just Harold & Kumar go to White Castle.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366551/

FFE said:Even Natalie Portman from Star Wars would think this is total garbage.🙄

Jesus, what a comparison... just go ahead and pull the trigger already. Right now.

thanks.
🙂

mistyhound2 said:And she’s acting like Natalie Portman from Star Wars, totally clueless about how bad this garbage actually is.🙄

🙄 🙄 🙄

Comparing Star Wars to a movie like this? 😂 I honestly have nothing to say.😢

Personally, I thought the movie was beautiful. It actually makes you sit there and think about things while you watch... and that soundtrack 😍 hits different.😍

It isn't just some mindless flick, and that matters. I've seen so many movies that I forget the second the credits roll... but this one? This one actually stuck with me.

I mean, I wouldn't go so far as to say the movie is total garbage, but you can definitely tell the writer just cobbled together a handful of random vignettes over one long weekend and called it a day. It’s basically just these scattered stories stitched together to give the lead some sort of "identity crisis" arc.

S-Kid, I’ve gotta disagree with you on the whole "slice-of-life" thing being bad. Look at As Good as It Gets—that’s just a movie about regular people dealing with regular stuff, and it’s a damn good movie. To me, it’s beautiful. I know everyone has their own taste, obviously, but still.

Honestly, we probably need more movies focused on everyday life anyway. Sci-fi just stopped hitting the mark for me after Blade Runner. Nowadays, it feels like every single flick is just empty noise or someone shouting "may the force be with you" without actually having anything meaningful to say.

The action sequences feel shallow and pretty naive.

And the drama? It’s way too hyper-focused on just one character.

But those human stories? The Paper, Clerks, Singles, Lost in Translation... those films where everything revolves around actual people instead of some self-proclaimed gods, world saviors, or beefy robots? Those kinds of movies actually have something real to offer an audience.

Not trying to start a fight here, though.

Michelle Hall9 said:🙄 🙄 🙄

Comparing 😂 Star Wars to a movie like this... I honestly don't even have the words.😢

Personally, I thought the movie was beautiful. It actually makes you stop and think about things while you're watching... and that soundtrack 😍 shinsi😍

It’s not just some run-of-the-mill flick, and that's what matters. I've seen so many movies that I forget the second the credits roll... but this one? It actually stuck with me.

Honestly, you're being as clueless as the person above you. If you really think this crap is "beautiful" and "impactful," good grief... you're basically a houseplant.🙄

And as for who's comparing Star Wars to this garbage? People like you.

John Carter21 said:Jesus, what a comparison... just go ahead and pull the trigger already. Right now.

thanks.
🙂

Man, you really need to learn how to read.🙂

Look, I’ve got my work cut out for me with Einstein here. Why don't you be a pal and explain what you were thinking when you wrote this:

'And she’s like Natalie Portman, falling asleep over this crap from Star Wars.🙄 '

thanks.

Amy Mendoza25 said:And people actually have the nerve to compare Star Wars to this absolute garbage...

😕 I honestly don't get what part of your previous post was confusing. Is it just that you can't wrap your own brain around your overly complicated sentences? 😁

Look, just take a long, deep breath, go back and read your own damn post again, maybe sleep on it until it actually sinks in, and then come back and try to explain to us what you actually meant by any of it... 🙄

I honestly thought nothing could let me down after watching Lost in Translation.
I went in with such high hopes this time—I guess I’m just naive enough to think an 8 on IMDb means I'm watching a masterpiece, even if something like The Godfather hits a 9. Turns out, I was just left feeling totally deflated.
It's shallow...
The plot, the characters, the dialogue—it's all just empty. The soundtrack is great, though. Well, at least they got one thing right. I'm pretty much on the same page as Michelle Hall9.

I honestly don't get where all this hatred for the movie is coming from. Sure, Braff was a bit stiff in certain parts, but overall? It’s an incredible film. The soundtrack and the script are brilliant—not to mention that opening scene (it's a shame I can't say the same for the ending, which leans a bit too hard on clichés, but hey, those are my weaknesses 😁). I gave it a 10/10 after my first viewing, and frankly, reading these negative takes is just laughable. It feels immature. Constant nitpicking doesn't make you look sophisticated; it just makes you look pretentious. You probably saw it was an indie flick, decided it wasn't "cool" enough for the mainstream crowd, and went into it with nothing but bias and zero interest.