Television actor Zach Braff (Scrubs) unveiled true filmmaking talent in this writing-directing-starring effort about a middling, heavily medicated actor (Braff) who returns to his native New Jersey for a funeral and learns that even a painful life is worth living. There’s a tinge of narcissim to get past, but the reward is Braff’s penchant for smart visual gags, bull’s-eye dialogue and a quirky sense of empathy. It’s often uneven, but when it works Garden State offers the sort of moments we go to the movies for.
