‘Scrubs’ star shows comedy gift in indie film

If you were making out a list of most likely sitcom stars to emerge as writer-directors of thoughtful, ambitious indie films, Zach Braff would be close to the bottom of the heap.

Braff is the star of “Scrubs,” and his childlike doofus is a blissfully funny creation. But it’s not the kind of thing that would suggest a person capable of, you know, deep thoughts.

Well, inside every doofus is one good movie. Welcome to “Garden State,” written by, directed by, and starring Zach Braff. He plays Andrew Largeman, a struggling actor (i.e., waiter) in Los Angeles. When his mother dies, he’s got a reason to go back home to New Jersey for the first time in nine years.

Andrew is in a state – not the Garden State – but a perpetually zonked state of emotional haziness, thanks to the anti-depressants prescribed by his father (Ian Holm), a psychiatrist. The father seems to prefer that Andrew remain dazed.

The film covers the days after the funeral, as Andrew reunites with a dubious old friend from school (Peter Sarsgaard, from “Broken Glass”) who’s working as a gravedigger and living with his mother. Andrew also meets a fetching young woman (Natalie Portman) who’s just about as eccentric as he is.

“Eccentric” describes the movie. Braff has said his key inspiration was “Harold and Maude,” the beloved cult black comedy, and he works hard to maintain a similar tone of wry bewilderment.

He also works, harder than most comedy directors, at creating a specific visual approach, instead of plunking the camera down and shooting jokes. There are gags here, some very funny ones, that rely on how a certain moment is framed or lighted. That’s pretty good for a first-time director.

There’s a lot to like in the movie’s first hour, although after that point Braff shifts gears and has his characters begin talking and explaining too much. It’s not necessary, and it slows the action down. He also reaches for a few big dramatic moments that don’t come off.

Give him points for the delightful soundtrack of songs, and for reminding us that those wooden “Star Wars” performances are the exception for the talented Natalie Portman. She’s a kick.

Since I saw the movie at the Seattle International Film Festival earlier this year, I’ve been remembering what’s funny and fresh about it, not what falls apart. That’s a good reason to feel generously toward this film, uneven though it may be.