Garden State is a lot like Reality Bites, only without the bite – and I mean that in an entirely good way. Garden State accomplishes what Reality Bites intended to create, but Garden State is all the more sweet, all the more sincere, and all the more real.

Garden State is, quite possibly, my favorite romantic comedy to date. I think it’s partly because while standard romantic comedies rely heavily on formula and contrivances, Garden State is as fresh as its title sounds. More than anything, this is a film about real people in real situations.

After discovering that his mother has died, Andrew Largeman leaves his life in LA for a week to go home to New Jersey for the first time since he left after high school. Largeman is a monotonous character who’s been on anti-depressants for the past many years, but coming home doesn’t do much to help at first. Coming back to his friends, including the grave digging Mark (Peter Sarsgaard), he realizes that none of his friends have done anything with their lives and consequently, begins to see he hasn’t done a whole lot more with his either. Further still, Andrew has to confront his father (Ian Holm), with whom he hasn't spoken in years.

Things begin to change when he meets the young, vibrant and innocent Sam (Natalie Portman). Andrew begins to love again, to feel again, to live again. But I’m making it sound more cliché than it really is. Garden State is really rather subtle. The scenes pass without much plot structure or build up, but there’s certainly a point for every moment.

Like Andrew says at one point in the story, Garden State is about the homeless period in life – after you’ve left home and before you’ve gotten married and made your own. I think Garden State succeeds, not only in capturing the period, but making something out of it as well. “Coming of age story” is used to describe a good quarter of movies that come out nowadays, but Garden State feels like an actual coming of age story. We see Largeman really grow up, really come to terms with himself, and really wake up to life.

I really can’t think of anything negative in particular to say about the film. I think the only thing that can be said along those lines is just a general weakness. For all its humor, it’s not quite as funny as it could be; and despite its impact, it’s not as strong as it could be either. The climax between Andrew and his father also felt off to me. Too often both the script and direction come across as if it’s all being done by a rookie director/screenwriter, which is OK, because it is. If Braff can tighten things up, he may be the next Cameron Crowe.

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