thehuntster

I have always had a love for these deeply psychological and overly artsy films. Something about their perfectly placed score and intentionally detailed frames entice me. My parents were the first to expose me to such films, one of which being “Garden State”. My mom would play the Garden State album in our minivan for weeks on end, and soon I would have the entire song of “Caring is Creeping” by The Shins memorized. Not until just recently, did I realize the profound effect that my parents had on my taste in music, film, and in those I surrounded myself with.

In one of its most pivotal scenes, the three main characters, Andrew, Sam, and Mark, stand upon a big construction unit overlooking a giant ditch which they refer to as the the “abyss”. At this point in the film, Sam, Andrew, and Mark are tracking down a going away present for Mark to give to Andrew. This adventure eventually leads them to this quarry. At the climax of the movie, as Sam and Andrew’s lives become intertwined, they seek to find a release by screaming into the infinite abyss. Mostly left up to the interpretation of the watcher, as all three characters are screaming, rain begins to poor, and Andrew and Sam kiss for the first time.

As the kiss begins to fade, Mark holds up a pendant which Andrew realizes was once his mother’s favorite. As the movie explains, Andrew, as a child, had pushed his mother causing her to become paraplegic, and in turn, Andrew’s father blames him for much of the grief that this catastrophe caused their family. As the story unfolds, watchers discover that many of Andrews issues stem from this event; throughout his life, his father placed him on antidepressant medication which eventually led him to leave the state of New Jersey (the Garden State) for sunny California. As Mark holds up this pendant, Andrew throws it into the infinite abyss, finally letting go of the hurt and guilt caused by the paralysis and death of his mother.

With forgiveness and resolution as driving forces for the rest of the movie, this scene acts a cornerstone for the mental healing and subsequent communion of two lost souls, Sam and Andrew. Garden State is one of those movies that makes one stop and think. And think again. But that’s the beauty of it; amidst the emotion, the adventures, and the imperfections of these characters’ young lives, only together can they eventually find peace. Sometimes, maybe that’s all it takes, someone that allows you to let go and toss your problems away into a never-returning void.

As I have mulled over the themes of “Garden State”, I realized that the song “Caring is Creeping” captures the mood perfectly. There will always be hurt and sadness and numbness and brokenness, but there will always be a future brighter than you could ever imagine. As you stand, “on rocks i dreamt of where we’d stepped and the whole mess of roads we’re now on”, you can either choose to embrace the moment or let the rain bog you down.

Sam, Andrew, and Mark’s ability to grapple with the truth and look towards the future have inspired to me to create this blog. They’ve shown me that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful, and most of all, everyone, every single person on this earth, has a story to tell (even if there are some cracks in the pavement). So here’s me, Lauren Hunt, screaming into the abyss for the first time.