Garden State is a
2004 film written, directed by, and starring,
Zach Braff, with
Natalie Portman,
Peter Sarsgaard and co-starring
Sir Ian Holm. The film centers on Andrew Largeman (Braff), a 26-year-old actor/waiter who returns to his hometown in
New Jersey after his mother dies. The title alludes both to the nickname for New Jersey, and to lines from
Andrew Marvell's poem "The Garden" ("Such was that happy garden-state,/ While man there walked without a mate").
It was filmed over 25 days in April and May 2003 and released on
July 28,
2004. The main setting and primary shooting location was
New Jersey.
[rottentomatoes.com Garden State production notes] It was an official selection of the
Sundance Film Festival. The film won Best First Feature at the
Independent Spirit Awards. The film contains many allusions to the similar coming of age film
The Graduate (1967), most notably the opening airplane scene that both pictures share.
Garden State was well-received, and is considered a major success for
Scrubs actor Zach Braff, as it was his feature film debut as a director.
Lacking the publicity machine of most mainstream Hollywood films, it generated a devoted fan base from people who read and responded to Braff's blog on the film's official site. Fans drove hours to see the film and saw it repeatedly in theaters.
The film also spawned
a popular soundtrack for which Braff, who picked the music himself, won a
Grammy award.
