After starring in offbeat sitcom Scrubs, Zach Braff made an easy transition to writing and directing with the "witty, wacky, and wonderful" Garden State. He also stars in the story of a medicated actor who returns to his sleepy hometown where a pretty young kook (Natalie Portman) helps him to reconnect with his feelings. It caused a stir at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival where it was quickly sold and went on to win Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards.
Garden Variety
A feast of comedy treats fill out a whopping 16 deleted scenes. Among them is a brilliantly subtle sequence where Andrew 'Large' Largeman (Braff) blankly listens to the psychotic neuroses of a babbling actor as they wait for an audition. There are also shining character moments too, like Ian Holm as Large's father struggling to make a connection with his son. Their dialogue runs at almost seven minutes, but great performances make it truly compelling. Braff confesses that, "It was the hardest thing for me to cut." Elsewhere he points out his real-life relatives who saved him a fortune in extras.
Foregoing the standard collage of clips and sound-bites, a half hour 'Making Of' documentary finds cast and crew on location in and around New Jersey. You can tell it's a low-budget movie because the catering department is reduced to a couple of iceboxes packed with sandwich fillers, a family-sized packet of Cheetos and a coffeemaker. But the sense of camaraderie is palpable. "You can feel the magic," says Portman who gases with girls on celebrity fashion dos and don'ts between takes. Meanwhile Braff is still trying to get his head around the fact that he's realised a dream. "All I ever wanted," he says, "was to have this shot."
Dog Days
Braff is very articulate about his dramatic intentions and directing style in two feature commentaries. During the first track, with co-star Natalie Portman, he explains how he was able to get an unruly dog to hump his leg by repeating the simple command, "Who's your bitch!?" Apparently it worked very well, but you can see his failed attempts at seducing said mutt in an entertaining - and it has to be said, mildly disturbing! - blooper reel.
He's also on top form for a second commentary where he invites key production members to share their nightmare stories. Among these are a bizarre incident in which a couple of producers and the location manager were arrested for breaking and entering because they decided to "test out the pool" of a grand mansion during a late night scouting excursion. Then there's the story of Magoo the masturbating dog, which apparently took four hours to shoot. Somebody call the RSPCA!
For aspiring filmmakers, there are also plenty of notes on low-budget effects like those used in the drugged out party scene where Large sees the world at changing speeds. It's an eye-opening package of extras that balances laughs with practical insights into first-time filmmaking. Oh yeah, and your pet pooch will get a kick out of it too.
EXTRA FEATURES
The Garden State DVD is out to buy on Monday 2nd May 2005.
