Aidan Bloom (Zach Braff) is a flaying adult, drowning in a sea of self- doubt and confronting his father's Mandy Partinkin (Yentyl, Princess Bride) terminal illness, his bother's spectrum behavior and a life of good choices turning bad. This is Aidan's pivoting point - will he discover what it takes to get his life back on track and what does that track even mean?
Wish I Was Here absolutely and resolutely is a companion piece to Garden State, but rather than College Age, we have moved on 20 years to post-30 fast approaching 40, pre-Mid Life crisis. With touches of fantasy and doses of reality the movie tries hard to capture the struggle between fading dreams, changing a generational age, and even the Big Question itself.
No film that aims so high is ever totally successful, but Wish I Was Here is wry and chooses a light drama comedy with a touch of sentimentality to center itself nicely around the Bloom Family.
Zach Braff always writes well. He's not hugely likable on screen,though you suspect he is a very good friend to have and keep off-screen. Here, the trademark charm vs. smarm is toned down, with Braff losing some of the frenzied just love me approach of Scrubs to be a more hang dog world weary crumble that works massively in his favor. He's never going to get near to being Walter Matthau, but it makes a more interesting character. Kate Hudson steals every scene she is in, putting in a very fine performance as a more than understanding wife and mother.
Written with his brother, Adam, the script has zing in places - it is heavy-handed and obvious a little to much, but then it's a Braff piece so par for the course, but when its not just hammering the message home there are moments of real tenderness and some genuine smarts laughs.
All in all, a smart, funny film, and one that successfully breaks the norms of Hollywood, it was partially funded by Kickstarter, and whether flack or funds, that is no bad move.
If romantic comedies or drama comedy are your thing you should absolutely enjoy it.
Wish I Was Here absolutely and resolutely is a companion piece to Garden State, but rather than College Age, we have moved on 20 years to post-30 fast approaching 40, pre-Mid Life crisis. With touches of fantasy and doses of reality the movie tries hard to capture the struggle between fading dreams, changing a generational age, and even the Big Question itself.
No film that aims so high is ever totally successful, but Wish I Was Here is wry and chooses a light drama comedy with a touch of sentimentality to center itself nicely around the Bloom Family.
Zach Braff always writes well. He's not hugely likable on screen,though you suspect he is a very good friend to have and keep off-screen. Here, the trademark charm vs. smarm is toned down, with Braff losing some of the frenzied just love me approach of Scrubs to be a more hang dog world weary crumble that works massively in his favor. He's never going to get near to being Walter Matthau, but it makes a more interesting character. Kate Hudson steals every scene she is in, putting in a very fine performance as a more than understanding wife and mother.
Written with his brother, Adam, the script has zing in places - it is heavy-handed and obvious a little to much, but then it's a Braff piece so par for the course, but when its not just hammering the message home there are moments of real tenderness and some genuine smarts laughs.
All in all, a smart, funny film, and one that successfully breaks the norms of Hollywood, it was partially funded by Kickstarter, and whether flack or funds, that is no bad move.
If romantic comedies or drama comedy are your thing you should absolutely enjoy it.