Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here Is So the Sequel to Garden State

When Zach Braff first announced his Kickstarter campaign to fund his new project Wish I Was Here (on the heels of Veronica Mars's historic success), I was cautiously optimistic. As a huge fan of Garden State, I have been hoping for a movie that captures the same boldness and relatability — possibly with another life-changing soundtrack. The trailer for Wish I Was Here is a great start. The teaser was set to music, so we didn't get much plot, but now we learn a few key things about Aidan Bloom, Braff's character. His father (Mandy Patinkin) is sick, his dream of being an actor is not coming true, and his family is experiencing its own growing pains. Key members of that family include Kate Hudson as Braff's wife, Joey King as their daughter, and Josh Gad as Aidan's brother.

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The trailer also features Donald Faison and Jim Parsons, who appeared as the knight in Garden State, and fills in many blanks about the movie, but to be clear: this still looks like a sequel to Garden State, just with new names and a Kate Hudson in the role of Natalie Portman. Wish I Was Here comes out in limited release on July 18.

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Watch the teaser trailer:

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