★★★☆☆ Zach Braff's second feature, Wish I Was Here (2014), was famously - or perhaps infamously - financed partially through the crowdfunding website Kickstarter. Braff's reasoning for this was to spare his project from the compromises that would come with a studio production. That Braff got to do exactly what he wanted is very evident in the resulting film. Aidan Bloom (Braff) is a struggling actor, supported by his loving wife Sarah (Kate Hudson), while his father, Gabe (Mandy Patinkin), pays for Aidan and Sarah's two children - daughter Grace (Joey King of White House Down (2013) and TV's Fargo) and son Tucker (Pierce Gagnon of Looper (2012)) to attend an expensive private Hebrew school.
- 1/27/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Each year when my Bfca ballot arrives I stop in my tracks, stumped, when I get to "Young Performer". Categories that aren't Oscar correlative are often trickier.
Oh dear. How uneasy I feel..."
That's not because you're free of predicting (anyone trying to predict with their own ballot really ought to find a new profession -- criticism: ur not doing it right) but because it's a subsection of acting you probably haven't been discussing at all. You suddenly remember that you need to have been considering it with as much seriousness as you have made your other selections.
I imagine that Ellar Coltrane, the now 20 year old star of Boyhood, will be tough to beat since this category is for the 21 and under set. But even if the category were adjusted downward to 17 and younger (which we strongly support as a rule change -because it's always weird when an adult...
Oh dear. How uneasy I feel..."
That's not because you're free of predicting (anyone trying to predict with their own ballot really ought to find a new profession -- criticism: ur not doing it right) but because it's a subsection of acting you probably haven't been discussing at all. You suddenly remember that you need to have been considering it with as much seriousness as you have made your other selections.
I imagine that Ellar Coltrane, the now 20 year old star of Boyhood, will be tough to beat since this category is for the 21 and under set. But even if the category were adjusted downward to 17 and younger (which we strongly support as a rule change -because it's always weird when an adult...
- 12/7/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Director: Zach Braff; Screenwriters: Zach Braff, Adam J Braff; Starring: Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Joey King, Pierce Gagnon, Josh Gad, Jim Parsons, Ashley Greene, Mandy Patinkin; Running time: 107 mins; Certificate: 15
After the acclaimed dramedy stylings of Garden State, it's taken Zach Braff a decade and some Kickstarter crowdfunding to get his second feature (as director) off the ground and in the end, Wish I Was Here looks destined to disappear up its own backside. Apparently, Braff is still struggling with the same issues; again playing a failing actor trying to get in touch with his real feelings, in the real world. But at 35 years old, the 'little boy lost' routine is more pathetic than sympathetic.
As co-writer of the script (with brother, Adam), Braff gives himself a major stumbling block to get over in making Aidan a worthy hero. The guy fancies himself as an astronaut saving the world while away from his fantasies,...
After the acclaimed dramedy stylings of Garden State, it's taken Zach Braff a decade and some Kickstarter crowdfunding to get his second feature (as director) off the ground and in the end, Wish I Was Here looks destined to disappear up its own backside. Apparently, Braff is still struggling with the same issues; again playing a failing actor trying to get in touch with his real feelings, in the real world. But at 35 years old, the 'little boy lost' routine is more pathetic than sympathetic.
As co-writer of the script (with brother, Adam), Braff gives himself a major stumbling block to get over in making Aidan a worthy hero. The guy fancies himself as an astronaut saving the world while away from his fantasies,...
- 9/15/2014
- Digital Spy
Chicago – Writer, director and lead actor Zach Braff has put it on the line for his latest feature, “Wish I Was Here.” He infamously used a crowd funding Kickstarter campaign to maintain creative control of the film, but he needn’t have bothered. The movie result is a sappy, high concept emotional manipulator with no basis in authenticity, and that might be the best thing that can be said about it.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
This film wasn’t something that showcased what makes Braff interesting. Unlike his successful cult film of ten years ago, “Garden State,” Braff casts himself in a circumstance unlike his usual character, and too far from his real life for him to understand it (and he wrote it!). Braff plays a father in this film, but with no chemistry with his kids or wife – portrayed by Kate Hudson – and he disarmingly seems estranged from the family. Some might...
Rating: 2.0/5.0
This film wasn’t something that showcased what makes Braff interesting. Unlike his successful cult film of ten years ago, “Garden State,” Braff casts himself in a circumstance unlike his usual character, and too far from his real life for him to understand it (and he wrote it!). Braff plays a father in this film, but with no chemistry with his kids or wife – portrayed by Kate Hudson – and he disarmingly seems estranged from the family. Some might...
- 7/18/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Anywhere But Here: Braff’s Kickstarter Baby a Painstaking Smog of Forced Emotion
It’s hard to believe a decade has passed since actor Zach Braff’s directorial debut, Garden State, was sold for a pleasant sum at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to reach a certain amount of acclaim, generating one of the first millennial iterations of the manic pixie dream girl with the prototype performance from Natalie Portman. The indie landscape has shifted a bit, and Braff’s return to the director’s seat with Wish I Was Here arrives like an interesting litmus test.
His debut hasn’t aged as well as we might have predicted due to the countless amount of similarly conceived films since then, though one must admit there’s a certain amount of nostalgic charm wrapped up in its well-meaning intentions. Comparatively, Braff’s unstudied earnestness to a fault irreparably...
It’s hard to believe a decade has passed since actor Zach Braff’s directorial debut, Garden State, was sold for a pleasant sum at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to reach a certain amount of acclaim, generating one of the first millennial iterations of the manic pixie dream girl with the prototype performance from Natalie Portman. The indie landscape has shifted a bit, and Braff’s return to the director’s seat with Wish I Was Here arrives like an interesting litmus test.
His debut hasn’t aged as well as we might have predicted due to the countless amount of similarly conceived films since then, though one must admit there’s a certain amount of nostalgic charm wrapped up in its well-meaning intentions. Comparatively, Braff’s unstudied earnestness to a fault irreparably...
- 7/18/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Hard to believe, but it’s been a full ten years since Zach Braff, best known for his lead role on the TV sitcom “Scrubs”, released his feature film-making debut, writing, directing , and starring in Garden State. The modest box-office hit was a character study about a young man, played by Braff, in his twenties returning to his home town and learning to enjoy life again, thanks to a local free spirit played by Natlaie Portman. It generated a passionate group of fans who were eager for a follow-up from Braff. After a few more years on the TV show, a couple of movie acting gigs, and a recent stint in a Broadway musical, he surprised everyone with an internet announcement. Braff was ready for his second directorial effort, but he needed help to make the film the way he wanted…financial help. And so he launched a fund-raising effort through the Kickstarter website.
- 7/18/2014
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Kickstarter supporters who donated money to Zach Braff's new movie Wish I Was Here got T-shirts, posters, advance screenings and even the chance to be extras. But one backer ended up starring in the movie. Joey King, who plays Braff's character's daughter, Grace, told The Hollywood Reporter at Monday night's New York premiere of Wish I Was Here that she donated money to the film on Kickstarter before she was even attached to the family-centric film as a castmember. Photos Hollywood on Broadway: Denzel Washington, Daniel Craig Among 2013-14 Season's Stars "I was a backer of this
read more...
read more...
- 7/15/2014
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s sad to think most people only know Zach Braff as Dr. John Dorian, Sacred Heart Hospital’s day-dreamiest physician, because there’s a brilliant filmmaker that most mainstream audiences aren’t aware of caged inside the goofy comic. Braff’s brilliant directorial debut, Garden State, showcases emotionality and raw, tender observations that one wouldn’t expect from the previously pigeonholed actor – but that premiered 10 years ago. Since Scrubs, we haven’t heard much from Braff besides Oz The Great And Powerful and a short stint as Pizza Guy on Cougar Town, but thankfully Wish I Was Here changes all of that. While the proven actor certainly knows how to entertain a crowd, Braff’s best work comes from behind the camera, and while Wish I Was Here can’t quite capture the honest majesty of Garden State, the actor/director’s swan song for a tireless generation is a sweet,...
- 7/14/2014
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Following the success of his Kickstarter campaign to fund his second writing/directing/staring effort, Wish I Was Here, Zach Braff scored again at Sundance when Focus features picked up the film. He’s launched a new trailer for the project, and you can see his trademark blend of whimsy, life issues and indie music is fully on display again. Wish I Was Here is the story of Aidan Bloom (Braff), a struggling actor, father and husband, who at 35 is still trying to find his identity and a purpose for his life. He and his wife (Kate Hudson) are barely getting by financially and Aidan passes his time by fantasizing about being the great futuristic Space-Knight he’d always dreamed he’d be when he was young. When his ailing father (Mandy Patinkin) can no longer afford to pay for private school for his two kids, Grace (Joey King) and...
- 5/19/2014
- EmpireOnline
Plot: Aidan Bloom (Zach Braff) is a struggling actor trying to juggle the responsibilities of fatherhood with the pursuit of his acting dreams of glory- while his patient wife (Kate Hudson) supports the family working at a menial data entry job. When his cancer-stricken father (Mandy Patinkin) finds himself unable to pay Aidan's children's tuition at their exclusive Jewish private school, Aidan begins homeschooling the kids- Grace (Joey King) and Tucker (Pierce Gagnon)- and...
- 1/27/2014
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Earlier in the month, Zach Braff sent out a message to his Kickstarter supporters with a not-so-cryptic hint that his anticipated sophomore feature, Wish I Was Here, would be debuting as planned at Sundance 2014.
He asked us to keep it quiet, because the news hadn’t gone public yet, and it took every ounce of reserve I had to keep the secret.
But the announcement has officially arrived today, and with it Braff has released the first official images from the film, giving us a great look at his on-screen family.
“Wish I Was Here” tells the story of Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, husband and dad who at 35 is still trying to find his true place in life. He and his wife are barely getting by financially, and Aidan passes his time fantasizing about being the futuristic Space Knight he always dreamed he’d be as a little kid.
He asked us to keep it quiet, because the news hadn’t gone public yet, and it took every ounce of reserve I had to keep the secret.
But the announcement has officially arrived today, and with it Braff has released the first official images from the film, giving us a great look at his on-screen family.
“Wish I Was Here” tells the story of Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, husband and dad who at 35 is still trying to find his true place in life. He and his wife are barely getting by financially, and Aidan passes his time fantasizing about being the futuristic Space Knight he always dreamed he’d be as a little kid.
- 12/18/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Over the past few months, we’ve been very quickly getting excited about Wish I Was Here, the project that will see Zach Braff return behind the camera for the first time since his debut, Garden State.
Braff launched the project on Kickstarter earlier in the year, completing his goal and then some, and we’ve heard various amazing pieces of casting news since then.
Most recently, we heard at the start of the month that Joey King, with whom Braff had worked on Oz the Great and Powerful, had joined the cast as his on-screen 12-year-old daughter, Grace.
And now Braff has revealed to his Kickstarter backers, of which I am proudly one, that Pierce Gagnon has been cast in the role of his 6-year-old son, Tucker.
He’ll be starring alongside Braff, Kate Hudson, Josh Gad, Anna Kendrick, Mandy Patinkin, Joey King, Jim Parsons, and Donald Faison, with...
Braff launched the project on Kickstarter earlier in the year, completing his goal and then some, and we’ve heard various amazing pieces of casting news since then.
Most recently, we heard at the start of the month that Joey King, with whom Braff had worked on Oz the Great and Powerful, had joined the cast as his on-screen 12-year-old daughter, Grace.
And now Braff has revealed to his Kickstarter backers, of which I am proudly one, that Pierce Gagnon has been cast in the role of his 6-year-old son, Tucker.
He’ll be starring alongside Braff, Kate Hudson, Josh Gad, Anna Kendrick, Mandy Patinkin, Joey King, Jim Parsons, and Donald Faison, with...
- 7/9/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Since launching on Kickstarter earlier in the year, Zach Braff’s Wish I Was Here has quickly become one of the most prominent movies currently being developed, with one of the most promising casts.
Braff himself is taking the lead on this one, with Kate Hudson boarding the project a few weeks back to star opposite him as his character’s wife. And after Braff took to Kickstarter to tease fans that his daughter had been cast, and that she is ‘as sweet as a doll’, teasing a reference to Joey King (who played the China Girl in Oz the Great and Powerful), Deadline have confirmed that King has indeed joined the cast.
“Wish I Was Here” tells the story of Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, husband and dad who at 35 is still trying to find his true place in life. He and his wife are barely getting by financially,...
Braff himself is taking the lead on this one, with Kate Hudson boarding the project a few weeks back to star opposite him as his character’s wife. And after Braff took to Kickstarter to tease fans that his daughter had been cast, and that she is ‘as sweet as a doll’, teasing a reference to Joey King (who played the China Girl in Oz the Great and Powerful), Deadline have confirmed that King has indeed joined the cast.
“Wish I Was Here” tells the story of Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, husband and dad who at 35 is still trying to find his true place in life. He and his wife are barely getting by financially,...
- 7/3/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Why do "Bent" and leading man David Walton get no love?
In ensemble comedies, there's always one actor that manages to transform their character and inadvertently transcend the others -- even just a little. It's a totally subjective thing, but as far as I'm concerned, Monica Geller ("Friends"), Jack McFarland ("Will & Grace"), Brad Williams ("Happy Endings"), Ellie Torres ("Cougar Town") and Jay Pritchett ("Modern Family") could or can do no wrong, and they shine just a teensy bit brighter than the rest.
Aside from those characters, my new favourite is Pete Riggins, played to scene-stealing perfection by David Walton. Oh, David Walton. (If this was Twitter, the hashtag would be #swoon.) He isn't exactly sublime or particularly innovative with his performances (based on his latest series, "Bent," the criminally undervalued "Perfect Couples") and he was the one notable exception in the dismal "100 Questions." In fact, he's really a two-note pony...
In ensemble comedies, there's always one actor that manages to transform their character and inadvertently transcend the others -- even just a little. It's a totally subjective thing, but as far as I'm concerned, Monica Geller ("Friends"), Jack McFarland ("Will & Grace"), Brad Williams ("Happy Endings"), Ellie Torres ("Cougar Town") and Jay Pritchett ("Modern Family") could or can do no wrong, and they shine just a teensy bit brighter than the rest.
Aside from those characters, my new favourite is Pete Riggins, played to scene-stealing perfection by David Walton. Oh, David Walton. (If this was Twitter, the hashtag would be #swoon.) He isn't exactly sublime or particularly innovative with his performances (based on his latest series, "Bent," the criminally undervalued "Perfect Couples") and he was the one notable exception in the dismal "100 Questions." In fact, he's really a two-note pony...
- 4/2/2012
- by Denette Wilford
- Aol TV.
It's that time again, and NBC has revealed it's 2011-2012 schedule. A couple of things have been kicked to the curb, and a host of new shows are coming to fill things in. I have a preview of the new fall shows, and the full schedule for you. There are a few surprises on the cut and not cut side of things, and the new shows have a bit of something for everyone. As usual, some of the ones that look the best to me are reserved for mid-season. And, NBC has apparently given up on Saturday altogether.
It's a whole lot of info, so let's just jump in.
NBC has introduced its 2011-12 primetime schedule, showcasing six new dramas and six new comedies from a roster of renowned hit-makers that includes Steven Spielberg, Lorne Michaels, Brian Grazer, Tom Werner, John Grisham and Peter Berg, among many others.
The season’s new dramas are “Smash,...
It's a whole lot of info, so let's just jump in.
NBC has introduced its 2011-12 primetime schedule, showcasing six new dramas and six new comedies from a roster of renowned hit-makers that includes Steven Spielberg, Lorne Michaels, Brian Grazer, Tom Werner, John Grisham and Peter Berg, among many others.
The season’s new dramas are “Smash,...
- 5/15/2011
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
NBC announced their Prime Time slate for 2011-2012 today. Chuck has been moved to Friday night for it's final season. I am really looking forward to seeing how The Playboy Club turns out. It will also be interesting to see how Free Agents and Up All Night do on Thursdays. For a full overview of NBC's method to it's madness click Here.
NBC Fall 2011-12 Schedule (New programs in Upper Case)
Monday
8-10 p.m. – The Sing-Off
10-11 p.m. – The Playboy Club
Tuesday
8-10 p.m. – The Biggest Loser
10-11 p.m. – Parenthood
Wednesday
8-8:30 p.m. – Up All Night
8:30-9 p.m. – Free Agents
9-10 p.m. -- Harry’s Law
10-11 p.m. -- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Thursday
8-8:30 p.m. – Community
8:30-9 p.m. -- Parks and Recreation
9-9:30 p.m. – The Office
9:30-10 p.m. – Whitney
10-11 p.
NBC Fall 2011-12 Schedule (New programs in Upper Case)
Monday
8-10 p.m. – The Sing-Off
10-11 p.m. – The Playboy Club
Tuesday
8-10 p.m. – The Biggest Loser
10-11 p.m. – Parenthood
Wednesday
8-8:30 p.m. – Up All Night
8:30-9 p.m. – Free Agents
9-10 p.m. -- Harry’s Law
10-11 p.m. -- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Thursday
8-8:30 p.m. – Community
8:30-9 p.m. -- Parks and Recreation
9-9:30 p.m. – The Office
9:30-10 p.m. – Whitney
10-11 p.
- 5/15/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Grown Ups: "Congratulations, Adam Sandler! After a decade or so of trying in earnest, you've finally achieved what must be your ultimate goal: to make a completely unwatchable movie. The problems in the past -- and the reasons that your movies have been mostly unwatchable instead of completely unwatchable -- have finally been eradicated. Turns out that before you were trying too hard. In Grown Ups, you've finally figured out the formula: Don't try at all! It's brilliant! All that effort is what's been holding you back all these years. As it turns out, laziness really is the best way accomplish the lifelong pursuit that has eluded you until now." - Dustin Rowles
Ramona & Beezus: "With Ramona and Beezus, the filmmakers have not merely adapted the first novel, Beezus and Ramona, in Cleary's series. Instead, this movie is a dumping ground for various misdeeds from several books, including Ramona and Her Father,...
Ramona & Beezus: "With Ramona and Beezus, the filmmakers have not merely adapted the first novel, Beezus and Ramona, in Cleary's series. Instead, this movie is a dumping ground for various misdeeds from several books, including Ramona and Her Father,...
- 11/9/2010
- by Intern Rusty
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.