These are three movie that have been embraced by the hipster culture here (and I’m sure everywhere else.) The music used in them has launched indie bands into a raging storm of popularity among trendy hipsters (like Iron and Wine) and their “feel” is constantly lauded by people I talked to.
I saw Eternal Sunshine when it first came out. It was alright. Just alright. It wasn’t particularly moving, it didn’t seem like an “ingenious” film; all I still remember from it is that Jim Carrey looks more handsome with some stubble on his face.
I saw Napoleon Dynamite last week and you already know what I thought of that (over-rated and kind of lame.)
Now I’m thinking about seeing Garden State. Should I? Is it as good as all the trendsters say it is? Knowing that I feel the way I do about hipster movies, should I see this?
In case that thread isn’t enough, I found Garden State to be, well, ok. It wasn’t that great. It was pretty well-written, and well-acted, but the cinematography was more pretentious than interesting, and its conclusion sort of depends on the main character’s revelation. For that to work, the revelation would have to be a little more interesting. Instead, it was a pretty silly cliche. Which sorta ruined the whole movie for me.
If you see Garden State you will be cured of all ills.
Really!
Tumors in your body will shrink, you won’t have bad breath and love and money will come into your life.
What do you want from a movie? What do you expect? It is a couple of hours of your life that guess what, no matter how good the movie is you won’t get them back.
How coudl you not see that Eternal Sunshine was not “ingenious” in the way it approached the story? That movie was pedestrian to you?
Tel us what movies do you consider worth your time and then maybe we can tell you if you might like Garden State.
It will not, however, put you into labor. I went to see Garden State when my baby was a few days overdue, thinking that it would be a good labor-inducer—you know, there I was, really interested in this movie I had paid $8 to see, and then I went into labor. Didn’t work.
I liked it somewhat, but I have to wonder if my irritable frame of mind didn’t have an effect on my verdict. I agree with others, though, that knowing what you usually do or don’t like would help us recommend or dissuade.
I watched Garden State after reading all the kudos about it here on the SD. I thought it was only OK. A cute story, but nothing to write home about. Not sure why so many people thought it was great. I liked Eternal Sunshine a lot more, but don’t think that one is a stunning film either.
I liked Garden State better than Eternal Sunshine, and less than Napoleon Dynamite.
See it, it’s nothing like the other two, despite it’s hipster status.
I’m not even sure what a hipster is, but I don’t think I am one. I watch movies of all variety, especially now that I have Netflix. Just Friday I watched some Queer as Folk, and Schindler’s List. Variety being the spice of life and all.
I got dragged to it by my SO, and went in expecting to hate it. Turned out that I really enjoyed it - maybe from the lowered expectations. I thought it was a little better than Eternal Sunshine and much, much better than Napolean Dynamite (which I was extremely disappointed with).
I loved all three of those movies - possibly Eternal Sunshine… the best.
I strongly recommend it; however based on your comments of the other two movies, I can see our tastes do not match and I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t like it.
I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind but thought Garden State wasn’t much. Poor underused Ian Holm: just because the target demographic is under 30, does that make everyone over 30 a cardboard cutout? Wait, don’t answer that…
Why should you see it? Because it’s quite good, and as someone pointed out in the other thread, Zach Braff is yummy. And if you’re not into him, there’s Natalie Portman.
I’m about as far from a hipster as it’s humanly possible to get and still be under 50 years of age, and I loved this movie. The “feel” of the movie is lauded because it perfectly captures this feeling that hits in your late twenties. It’s not the quarter-life crisis, though it’s got elements of that, more of a disjointed, disconnected feeling. I can’t articulate exactly what it is, though I perfectly recognize it in the movie. I guess that’s why Zach Braff writes, directs, and stars in popular, critically acclaimed movies while I’m scooping dog poop.
I spent the whole movie wondering why this strange looking guy played the protagonist, until I got to the end and realized he directed it, too. He was about as far from attractive as I can imagine.
I’m going to go ahead and say you probably shouldn’t bother seeing it. I loved all three of the movies in your OP, for different reasons, and my instinct is that if you said “meh” regarding the other two, you’ll do the same (or worse) for this one.
Also, if you’re willing to dismiss something based on its appeal to the “trendy hipsters” (which, really, makes you sort of a meta-hipster), you’re already halfway to hating it, and it probably won’t turn you around.
So if I loved Eternal Sunshine and Garden State, would I like Napoleon Dynamite? It looked pretty dumb from the trailers, with the potential to be horribly depressing (like a movie I hated called Welcome To the Dollhouse, also about a high school outsider).
If it helps, I consider myself a hipster. I even drink Pabst Blue Ribbon!
I’ve seen all three movies and there’s really no comparison between them other than them being hits amongst the indie “hipster” crowd – Garden State is basically a Woody Allen film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a modern day fable, Napoleon Dynamite is … I don’t even know, and I ranked them at 5, 3, and 1 on a five star scale, respectively.