Since I see a lot of movies each year, I rarely have a chance to see movies that I really enjoy more than once while they are still in the theater. I save those opportunities for only the very special films that are worthy of my extra time – and money. So far in 2004, only two other films have grabbed my seat more than once: “Shrek 2” and “Spider-Man 2.” I would have liked to have seen “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” with Jim Carrey again, but just didn’t find the time (but I will definitely own that film on DVD when it’s released).

Now, in August of all months, another film comes along that has snapped up my attention and vaulted it to the top of my list of “Best of 2004” (so far), and has pulled me back in to the theater for multiple viewings. While having gained critical attention, “Garden State” will probably pass under the radar of so many “mainstream” audiences. This is unfortunate, and if I can pass along any words of advice, if you don’t catch this film on the big screen, please remember to see it when it comes out on DVD. It’s possibly the most enjoyable film of the year.

“Garden State” was written, directed, and stars Zach Braff (of NBC’s “Scrubs”), and tells the story of Andrew Largemont, nicknamed “Large” by all of his former friends. When the 26-year old Large returns home to New Jersey from California to attend his mother’s funeral, he decides to take a break from the lithium medication he’s been taking since he was a boy. When he meets a quirky girl named Sam (wonderfully embodied by Natalie Portman), he starts to fall in love with her, and at the same time, starts to feel all of the emotions he hasn’t over the last twenty years. Life can be both wonderful and painful at the same time, and as Large comes to this realization with Sam’s help, he begins to understand what he’s missed in life so far.

What makes this story so remarkable is not the fact that it’s simplistic and quirky, but that it feels so real and true. The conversations between the characters don’t feel scripted, and instead sound like conversations that everyday people would have. Even the images just feel right. Take for example a scene where Large asks Sam what she’s listening to on her headphones, and she replies “The Shins. You have to listen to this…it’ll change your life.” As Large puts on the headphones and listens, Sam looks directly into the camera and smiles, with the song playing in the background, and you see in her eyes and facial expressions that she is willing you to like it, asking “it’s good, right?” with just her eyes. It’s a perfect moment that details the fabulous casting of Portman as the antithesis to Braff’s quiet demeanor Large. Their chemistry is really what glues the film together.

There are so many special and funny moments in the film that it’s hard to narrow down to just one, but overall they gel into one great film. While the beginning third of the film is a tad slow, it introduces the audience to the characters with just the right amount of perspective, and we learn more about each of them as the film progresses. Each of them are interesting in their own way, and while the focus is on Large and Sam, the ancillary characters are fleshed out with just enough depth to understand where they come from and their actions. The relationship between Large and his father is resolved a little too easily, but it still seems earnest and is central to the development of Large.

“Garden State” may not be a perfect film, but it’s about as close as anyone has come in a while in my opinion. Funny, quirky, touching, and down-to-earth, it hits right on all cylinders and delivers 90 minutes of enjoyment that’s hard to beat in film these days. With four months still to go in the year, it’s going to be tough for any upcoming film to beat out “Garden State” as my best film of the year. Maybe I’ll go see it a third time, just in case.