Andrew Largeman in the Garden 'of Eden' State

The choice to pursue life, rather than letting it slip away, while you sit back, watching the marvels of existence take their course, is the choice of a true existentialist.
Andrew Largeman(Zach Braff), makes this choice in the movie Garden State, when he decides to leave his life in L.A. behind, and pursue the love of his life. Largeman is a confused, depressed, and apathetic actor in L.A. He lives in a drab apartment, and ever since he can remember has been on heavy doses of anxiety medication, prescribed by his psychiatrist, who conveniently happens to be his own father. Largeman is afraid of life, and afraid of what might happen if he didn’t have the drugs to blind his emotions.
In laymen terms, Largeman is extremely screwed up. He returns to his hometown upon hearing of his mother’s death, yet he lacks the ability to even shed a single tear at the funeral. There, he reunites with his old high school buddies who promise to show him a good time while he’s home. Soon after the funeral, his friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) brings him to a party flooded with young teenage girls and sketchy guys from Andrew’s high school class. The guests experiment with various drugs, which Largeman willfully partakes in. It is during this moment that we see what it is exactly that separates Largemen characteristically, from the rest of his peers. While the rests of the guests engage in erotic behavior and outright belligerence, Largeman sits back on the sofa, apathetic and emotionless, as the hours of the night race past him at hyper speed. Thus far in his life, Andrew has chosen to live life without any true feelings, or purpose for that matter. He never lets any one person get too close to ensure he won’t have to deal with the emotional burdens of a relationship. But Andrew’s outlook on life changes suddenly, when he meets a flaky, pathological lying, yet sweet girl in the waiting room of a doctor’s office. Sam(Natalie Portman), is everything that Andrew needs in his life right now: crazy. Sam lives a hectic life, yet she finds the time to rejoice, and grieve in life’s joys and tragedies, something that up until now Largeman has been very unfamiliar with.
Largeman makes his epic existential statement in the final scene of the movie. Andrew and Sam sit adjacent to each other on the steps of the airport terminal, awaiting Largeman’s flight back to L.A. where he will have the time to “figure things out,” without Samantha. But before his flight takes off, he realizes that what he uttered to Samantha only a few moments ago, “You changed my life, and I’ve only known you four days,” is the answer to his entire existence. Largeman has met the love of his life. He has found purpose in a daft world and he is not about to let that go. Largeman has “transcended nihilism” to the point where he is making choices for the betterment of his own existence. He has decided to take control of his own life, boldly and subjectively, the Sartrian Way.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTnzPuFPxPw


--Remy Kartzman