WOW. I was sooooo disappointed. I thought the premise was great - realistic for a guy to panic faced with all those life changes. It could have been great. I felt like the storyline was not tight enough - there were way too many characters whose storylines kind of were dropped or weakly closed up. The parents? I understand wanting to show relationships and how they change over time but it was very weak in this film - could have been dropped and been more effective to the movie. From a friend's perspective, I could see how ZB would view the Casey Affleck relationship. By the way, Casey Affleck is WONDERFUL in this.
Most importantly, let me go on a rant about Zach Braff. I love Scrubs and I love Garden State. I do not like how he writes women. He seems to think he's a pretty great catch. In Garden State, a strong, free spirited female sees him and is instantly enamored. She plays things pretty cool but...
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But then at the end she is the way many guys see a female - even the ones not looking for a serious relationship really want one. PLEASE. Natalie Portman is left to sob hysterically when ZB leaves at the end. Typical and semi-unfair. Would have been more original for HIM to be the cryer since he hadn't felt many emotions in years.
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Then we get to
The Last Kiss where Rachel Bilson glances at him and is instantly enamored. Why? He barely speaks when she follows him up to the treehouse and he tells her he is not single. Yet, she pursues. While Rachel Bilson appears freespirited and interested (although, she's a little much) and Jacinda Barrett appears "hot and like a guy" - per Casey Affleck - they aren't. They end up being stereotypical, needy and irrational.
Then you have Casey Affleck's wife. She looks like a mega - b*tch. Well, probably to a friend without kids that's true. However, those with children or who are very close to people with children know that she may well be a raving lunatic. However, she's also a stay at home mom with a husband who works late and is out with his friends a lot. They probably do have some things they need to discuss. She probably does take her frustrations out on her husband. Rightly or wrongly. They both have problems in this relationship but she has the least development as a character and looks like the complete bad guy when there is probably some shared.
As for Rachel and Jacinda? And the girl that the bartender friend meets at the opening wedding?
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The bartender's physical soulmate
ends up trying to "trap" the bartender. She wasn't just into the sex and no kids - she wanted more by trying to make a relationship and having him meet her parents. I know, I know, typical panicking from the guys perspective. Insult to guys as well. It could have been a coincidence her folks were there when he stopped by. But it looked like you have to watch out for girls who claim not to want "more" because they always do. Please.
Ditto with Rachel Bilson. She calls all the time, tells him she only cares about tonight and then shows up at his work with a mix CD?
Jacinda is supposedly not pushing him towards marriage but at the end says how they aren't even married yet and he's already cheating? All the yelling? OK - she's hurt, she's frustrated, he's caught in a lie, she waited all night... But the knife? All that hitting?
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