Wish I Was Here

Viewed at Kickstarter pre-screening in Toronto:

Although sometimes dragged down by the sheer weight of it all, Zach Braff's "Wish I Was Here" is a massively heartwarming, enjoyable, and refreshing tale of love and loss which is sure to tug at your heart at one point or another.

Even though it's been criticized for being "indie" or "hipster," the film features less of those "genres" clichés as Braff's previous film, "Garden State," or even some other films such as "(500) Days of Summer" and "Away We Go" - it feels much more "mainstream." It relies a bit more heavily on comedy than it does drama which makes it an easier film to just throw in and enjoy, but when the tense parts do come, they'll be sure to move you.

Including all of Braff's usual suspects such as Jim Parsons, Michael Weston, and Donald Faison, the film boasts incredible performances by both youngster Joey King and veteran Mandy Patinkin.

While this is a Zach Braff movie, it's Josh Gad who has a lot of scene-stealer scenes. Not sure if you could (or should) compare him to early Jack Black, but if you do that analogy/comparison on the degree of how funny they are, I guess you can. Although Gad seems a bit more low key of course (and not only in this, but other movies he did).

Zach is doing his usual thing, which isn't bad, but might feel a bit like the same to viewers. And still the movie is able to get you towards the end, if you have a soft spot for drama. Like I said, I credit Gad mostly for that, but the kid actors are not bad either. This drama is not as good as some others I watched in 2014, but it's more than decent enough

Admittedly, this is the first Zach Braff film I have seen. I only saw one trailer for the film, and it immediately intrigued me. I did not hate this film, but I also did not love and found myself in a lukewarm middle ground. For everything I liked, there was something I did not like.

First off, the story. The story as a whole deals with living life and dealing with death which was pulled off fairly well. However, there were several things in the script that I feel like took away from the film and the story Braff was telling. One of the those things were the laughs or lack thereof.

The script thinks its wittier and funnier than it actually is with most jokes missing that hitting. The movie also thinks it's deeper than it actually is. Maybe that's just Braff's style, but to me it seemed like it was more style over substance.

I did really enjoy the soundtrack for the film and Braff gave a good performance as a 30-something-year-old treading the water in his life.

I will definitely give Braff's future movies another shot and will see Garden State soon, but Wish I was Here was just not as good as I hoped it would be.

If it isn't remembered for anything else, Wish I Was Here may go down as one of the most controversial crowdfunded films ever made for reasons that didn't even involve the film's ambitions or content. When Braff announced in 2013 his sophomore directorial effort would be funded by generous donations and contributions from fans and supporters of his work on the popular crowdfunding website Kickstarter, backlash ensued, questioning Braff's business asking for contributions when he, himself, had presumably made a great deal of money from his last film Garden State ad his recurring role on TV's Scrubs. Despite considerable flak, Braff managed to reach his goal of $2 million in just three days, ending up with over $3 million from almost 47,000 people and the result is the offbeat but likable Wish I Was Here.

The film stars Braff, who also co-wrote the film with his brother Adam, as Aidan Bloom, a thirty-five-year old father desperately trying to work as an actor in Los Angeles, while struggling to support his wife Sarah (Kate Hudson) and their two children, Tucker (Pierce Gagnon) and Grace (Joey King). Tucker and Grace are blessed to go to a private, Orthodox Jewish school thanks to assistance from Aidan's father Gabe (Mandy Patinkin), which lightens the financial burden Aidan and Sarah are already having a hard time bearing. Tragedy strikes when Gabe reveals to Aidan that his cancer has reoccurred, he regretfully cuts the education fund for the children so the money can be spent on much needed radiation treatment. After realizing that no aid will be provided from the Orthodox Jewish school (make whatever joke you want, Braff sure does), Sarah proposes the idea of having Aidan, who is already more-or-less a stay at home father, homeschool the children, which leads to an early midlife crisis on part of Aidan, who wants to remain worthwhile and, most importantly, worth something.

If there has been a recurring theme in the films of 2014, between Birdman, Top Five, and now Wish I Was Here, it's the desire to rise above critics and feel like you matter in a big way. Wish I Was Here concerns ideas of self-worth and personal pride in realistic ways, given the fact that Aidan's lack of consistent income and casual disapproval from his father hurts in more ways than he allows be shown. Also affected by diminishing feelings of value is Aidan's brother Noah (Josh Gad), who lives alone and relishes in the childlike whimsy of attending comic conventions and cosplaying rather than owning up to actual, adult responsibilities, again, much to the dismay of his father.

Wish I Was Here is also an interesting film about early millennials finally adhering to the responsibilities they long put off when they are forced to make challenging, life-altering decisions that were either ignored or made by one of their superiors. While Braff isn't, by definition, a millennial, his filmmaking sensibilities reflect that of a generation driven by change, experimentation, and the lack of uniformed convention, and Wish I Was Here follows a couple who seemed to be taken by that kind of youthful idealism only to settle into having a family and accepting the same responsibilities their parents had to. Even if the characters aren't handling situations in the fabled "right way" (case and point, when Aidan confronts one of Sarah's coworkers who has been prolific in sexually-harassing her), we can at least see and accept the fact these characters are trying.

I wasn't a big fan of Garden State, Braff's first directorial effort; I found everything a little too artificial, the humor a little too inconsistent, and the characters a bit too cutesy. With Wish I Was Here, it's as if Braff himself, grew up too, in an emotional and assured manner. The film remains fiercely likable, never too unbelievable, and consistently funny, as Braff's impeccable deadpan, verbal banter allows for a new layer of fun to be carried out, and when one views the film as an imploring wakeup call to grow up and accept responsibility, Wish I Was Here becomes one of the most important comedies of 2014.

Starring: Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Pierce Gagnon, Joey King, Josh Gad, and Mandy Patinkin. Directed by: Zach Braff.

I was a backer of this movie on Kickstarter that got a online viewing. Zach Braff has created a beautiful movie, something realistic that many can relate to. I have no idea why people would give this such a low rating, even if it's not your cup of tea you can not deny the movie of what it deserves, it is a great film.

I laughed and I cried. Wish I Was Here touched me on such a emotional level mainly because I had to watch my Father die of cancer like so many people in this world have had to. And I could relate to the character Noah (Josh Gad) that played Zachs brother in the film.

The performances were great, especially by Mandy Patinkin who just BLEW me away. His acting class. The depth of each of the characters in this movie was amazing, and this is the reason why so many people should be able to relate to at least one of the characters.

I'm not much of a writer, nor am I a reviewer, in fact this is my first ever on IMDb, but I felt compelled to write about it to help give this movie the respect it deserves. So glad I invested in this movie and helped make it happen. If you are looking for something that will tug at your heart but also make you laugh, then go and see it if you get a chance, you won't regret it. Will be watching it again as soon as I can.