  &emailalert=no&email=adgrant@indiana.edu&url=http://closeproximity.blogspot.com&name=Proximity&bgcolor=003399&fcolor=FFFFFF&link=FFFFCC&words=comments&title=Comments &width=350&height=350"> So Zach Braff made his big screenwriting, acting and directorial debut yesterday with urlLink Garden State , a contemplative film about a struggling Hollywood actor (costarring Natalie Portman...duh) who comes back to New Jersey and is reunited with his friends.
Of course I haven't seen the movie yet (and probably won't until December because I'm bad at keeping up with these things), but from the trailers I've seen, it looks a little self-consciously arty like it's really pulling for that "I'm deep....really!
" vibe. Who knows, though. I could be wrong. I'm not even going to pretend like I'm a regular Scrubs watcher (Braff has a starring role in the sitcom), but every time I catch the show, I really enjoy it. Plus, the urlLink soundtrack isn't too shabby, featuring the Shins, Simon and Garfunkel and Iron and Wine (with the lovely cover of the Postal Services' "Such Great Heights," no less.....the Postal Service, blowing up like my Motorola two-way....but that's a whole other post). All in all, however, the Garden State trailer has caused some ruckus on the Internet and it makes me worry that the movie won't be able to deliver.
Check out some urlLink movie clips or read urlLink Braff's blog to find out more. (links via urlLink Stereogum ) In other Natalie Portman news....It looks like she'll be starring with Owen Wilson in urlLink The Smoker , a Richard Linklater-directed movie based on a short story by David Shickler. The Smoker is part of Shickler's book, Kissing in Manhattan, and origianlly ran in the New Yorker in 2000.
Read it urlLink here ; it's good. I think Natalie Portman will be perfect for the part of a sophiticated high school girl, but Owen Wilson as her hapless, lonely teacher? Not so much. I'm still looking forward to seeing it. (links via urlLink Gothamist ) 
