'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Garden State is Zack Braff's romantic dramedy, which released in theaters on July 28, 2004. While it happened 20 years ago, it's still one of the classics loved by fans even now.
The Garden State soundtrack, featuring The Shins, Frou Frou, Coldplay, Simon & Garfunkel and more, is one of the reasons why the film is so well-loved. The movie boasts an impressive 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Moreover, Garden State is partly based on a true story and is around "75%" inspired by anecdotes of Braff's life in New Jersey.
Zack Braff, who wrote and directed the quirky comedy, stars as the troubled/aimless Andrew Largeman, who returns to his hometown after many years of being away to attend his mother's funeral.
Trending
It's a blast-from-the-past film, which sees Largeman confronting various aspects of his old, meeting new people and healing old wounds.
How much of Garden State is a real story?
The offbeat story of the struggling actor Andrew Largeman is inspired by its creator and star's own life and upbringing. Braff talked about the film's origin during a one-on-one with Phase 9 Entertainment:
"The movie was based on a lot of anecdotes from when I was growing up in New Jersey."
Talking about its inspiration, Braff added:
"(It was based on the) things that happened to me, things that I read about in the paper, (and) things that happened to friends of mine. I sort of wove them all together."
Most of what's in the film are true experiences the actor-director experienced firsthand or secondhand. When he was asked how much of Garden State was autobiographical, Braff said:
"I say that about 75% of the movie is true. It just didn't necessarily happen to me."
Braff wrote "anecdotes and scenarios" from his life over the years, which ended up in a box of notes he had with him when he went to film school. Those scraps of notes and stories eventually became the backbone of the movie.
However, as with any "true story" movie, some dramatic licenses were used to add cinematic entries. However, there are scenes and dialogues in the movie that mirror exactly what happened in real life.
The part in the film during a conversation at a Vietnamese restaurant is "word for word" the exchange Braff had with some people. He also said that his character in the movie is "really" where he was when he was 26 and living in Los Angeles.
What is Garden State all about?
Zack Braff plays Andrew Largeman, who, after many years of staying away from his small town somewhere in New Jersey, returns after his mother dies.
Back home, while he deals with his mother's death, Andrew faces many parts of his old life he thought he had left behind, including an overbearing father (played by Ian Holm) and a hometown girl (played by Natalie Portman) who he's now in love with.
The film also follows Andrew reuniting with his two old buddies — one of them is a stoner — while the other is an enormous puzzle Andrew tries to crack.
While coming back home transformed Andrew from a lifeless and aimless young man to someone who seems to have a new lease on life, there's a reason why he stayed away from his hometown for so long. He has to face those old wounds as he tries to move on in life.
Catch Garden State streaming on HBO Max with a subscription or purchase, or rent it via Prime Video and Apple TV.
