Garden State was robbed

Have you ever thought about what the difference is between a movie and a film? You probably always thought they meant the same thing, but that’s wrong, because they are different words. A movie is like, Jurassic Park or something with action. A film is intelligent and sophisticated, and it rises above. And Garden State is a film.

Garden State should of been nominated for a Oscar, because it is the film for our generation. It is all about things that matter to our generation, like love, and be yourself. Never has a film so perfectly spoken for a generation since Jack Kerouac’s masterpiece On the Road, which was a book.

It is probably to Zach Braff’s disadvantage that there is no Oscar category for Writer, Director AND Star All-in-One. If there was, Zach Braff would surely be nominated— he did triple-duty in this movie, and it shows. His commitment is something that Hollywood needs more of, because usually a director will only direct and not star or write the movie. This sets a bad example.

This is not your average movie. In the same way that movies in the old days used old songs as their music, Zach Braff takes the music of today, the soundtrack of our lives, and puts it up on the silver screen. This is a much easier way to find out about random music (like for instance the Shins) than reading stuff, and I hope that other directors like Steven Spielberg or others use this trick in their future movies.

Garden State has something for everyone, so it is just crazy that Oscar glory is not going to be had by it. For instance, your parents probably listened to Simon and Garfunkel in their time, and Zach Braff incorporates their song “The Only Living Boy in New York” into the film. This is a clever juxtaposition, as the movie actually takes place in New Jersey (the Garden State).

Basically I think Garden State should be considered a musical because it has so much great music. Another thing is that it uses The Method Man, who is a rapper, as one of its actors, further blurring the line between music and the cinema. If you think about it it is revolutionary.

Let’s talk about the acting though. Who can forget the magical moment when Natalie Portman first appears, and is so funny and sweet? This is simply. Great. Acting. Natalie Portman deserved a Best Actress “nod” (as they say in the biz) for Garden State, but instead they nominated Kate Winslet for Eternal Sunshine In A Spotless Mind. And who even knows what was happening in that movie.

There are some people who didn’t like Garden State, and that’s fine because you are entitled to your opinion. But this is what I have to say to you if you are one of those people: don’t you still believe in love? Open your mind and your heart for a minute and you’ll understand why this is the film that everyone in our generation agrees on. In the same way that Citizen Kane captured the hearts of people in the 1950s, Garden State has done the same thing in modern times.

In conclusion, why didn’t Garden State get any Oscar nominations? The only answer I can come up with is that Oscar has gone completely crazy!! And is out of touch with the youth of today. Oscar, wake up! Because I’ve got this great movie to show you. It’ll change your life.