Review of Wish I Was Here (2014) by Lou B — 07 Aug 2014

As a huge fan of "Garden State," I absolutely was looking forward to seeing Zach Braff's second directed film "Wish I Was There.".

And I wasn't disappointed.

Written with his older brother Adam, Zach's second foray into moviemaking is a masterpiece of direction and writing, with rich, vibrant characters, modern problems and an unflinching look into what it takes to be a father, a husband and a son in today's world.

Set mostly in a house with a dilapidated fence, a broken-down pool and a roof covered with dirt, Zach's character Aidan has to simultaneously struggle with the demands of fatherhood, his waning relationship with his wife (played beautifully by Kate Hudson) and coming to terms with his actual impact in a world where he'd pretended, as a child, to be the superhero who saves all.

Several times throughout the film, we are met with Aidan's childhood ideal, a space-suited character wielding a sword and accompanied by a small, flying robotic sphere. The two intrepid heroes flee from a malevolent, dark-robed figure, not at all unlike Star Wars' Darth Vader, and, without fail, Aidan's real life intrudes.

Zach and Adam have crafted a brilliant, understated and perfect script that takes us through Aidan's slow realization that, although he considers himself as a child to be the superhero who saves the world, he and his brother, played by Josh Gad, are actually the ones that need to be saved.

Mandy Patinkin plays Aidan and Josh's stern father, a man who kept the bar of satisfaction just beyond his children's fingertip reach, and who, with the loss of his wife, Barbara, has been unable to reconcile his expectations for his children with his very real, paternal pride in their accomplishments.

Pierce Gagnon and Joey King play Aidan's kids beautifully, if a bit too wise for their years, and round out a perfectly cast assembly of characters.

If you liked Garden State, or if you love beautiful cinema extremely well told, with an honesty and a forthrightness that is simply missing from today's cinematic crop, please go watch "Wish I Was There.".

I was moved to tears several times in the film and squirmed a bit at the raw honesty, the pure love, and the genuine emotion that flowed from the screen. I highly recommend this film.