way back in 1993
so I finally saw garden state and although I had many reservations going in
when viewing this movie, I have to say I liked it.
so many reviewers had drawn a similarity to the graduate
which made me instantly not want to like the movie
(graduate = my favorite movie of all time)
and although there are many similarities, in a coming to age sort of way,
I see them as vastly different movies.
garden state reminded me of small scenes in college or just there after
that I am sometimes still visiting now.
It was well shot, had a great soundtrack and made excellent use of time-lapse filming
techniques
anyways here are some of the things that bothered me in the movie
First of all, it seemed unrealitic that all of the girls he encountered were drop dead gorgeous.
I mean I know you need to have prettier girls in movies
to sell more tickets, but it didn't seem very believable to me.
(I mean how many people drop a tab of X and then have the hottest girl in the party straddle you
and then start to make out with you???, I must have been at the wrong parties I guess...)
secondly, I also don't know how I feel about the use of the shin's song "new slang"
it felt like all of a sudden this beautiful secret world of music had been bastardized
and whored out to the rest of the world
starring natalie portman smiling and singing along
telling me this song would change my life
no shit it would change my life
and the fact that you didn't know about it
in your ever precious hollywood world
meant something to me
I guess the biggest dagger and my final quip with the movie
(which is partially my fault for my own tardiness)
is the use of "the only living boy in new york"
that song was and remains a testament to one of the hardest years of my life
way back in my freshman year of college in 1993-1994
there are probably only 2 people in the world that know how important that song
was to me, dave K and julie D, and both of them and that song kept me alive during that year.
I have always dreamed of using that song in a movie of mine
and have been beaten to the punch
by mr. jack braff
now I have to relive that cheesy scene in the bottom of a that gorge
as they all simulataneously scream and let us know
that they have some form of new lease on life
for eternity
thanks
why couldn't you have left my song alone?
anyways sorry for the rant
again I really did like the movie
but those were things that have been stuck in my mind
since I have seen it
posted by one too many mornings @ 11:19 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
D,
I think this may make me seem like some Garden State fanatic, but I think your criticisms of it are misguided/wrong.
I agree with the overusage of hot girls, and that scene with the X could've played out a little better, in my opinion, but what was the last Hollywood flick or TV commercial you saw that didn't use good looking women? It's part of the culture -- blame Focus Features if you must, but it's not Braff's fault.
Second, there was a lot of commentary from fans of the music in the film that was pissed off about the usage of "New Slang." I can understand this kind of knee-jerk, upset reaction to a beautiful song with personal ties -- especially one out of the mainstream -- being exposed to a wide audience. I had it too, at first. But it's not anyone's to covet or protect except the artist. Why does it mean something that Hollywood doesn't know about it? If you connect with the song, that's it. It shouldn't matter if it's used as a backdrop with Natalie Portman smiling. It fit her character.
Same goes for "Only Living Boy In New York." I think rather than finding fault with its inclusion in the context of a scene you found cheesy, you should put your own creative outlet in relation to the song to use.
There's no point in getting angry about songs you like being used on movie soundtracks or played on the radio. It's inevitable they won't match how you relate to them -- it's like getting pissed off at every director who puts a slightly different face on a book you've read -- gets you nowhere.
But I'm glad you liked the movie.
I guess it is unfair to lay emotional claim on
certain songs, especially since I didn't write them. However the simon and garfunkel song is much more hurtful since it means so much to me. It represents a period of my life where school and everything else seemed like the last of my problems, and to hear "I've got nothing to do today but smile.." and still give a shit about things really had a profound effect on me. I guess seeing it in a movie with that cheesy yelling scene just struck me the wrong way, since I would have liked to have seen it done in a different way. As I said before he beat me to the punch and used the song before I had a chance, I still plan on using it, but will always get..."ohh thats the song from garden state at the bottom of the gorge" and I will have to try my best to show them it is so much more than that.
**from happy voss**
both of your viewpoints are valid but I have to side with D here. Sometimes it just does matter who knows the song and who doesn't. My example lies in a song by blink 182 (hold the laughter), M+M's, that we all knew the lyrics to off their first, non-mtv, album, and we loved screaming it in the car or whenever. Several years later I believe around senior year and amanda viniki had it on along with her cheerleading uni and was saying how she loved the song. I wanted sock her nose. Yeah, sure, it means different things to us, but ever since then although I still enjoy the song, countless jerkoffs probably now know it, and it stays forever tainted in my mind.
like the topic of convo though :)
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