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Why Zach Braff Really Irritates Me

piny

Yes! Yes, exactly! It’s because it’s not a sensitive-guy romantic comedy! It’s because it’s a Woody-Allen-esque fantasy dressed up as a Nora-Ephron-scripted Meg-Ryan vehicle!

The Last Kiss has been marketed as a feel-good romantic comedy, but many viewers have found it’s actually an anti-date movie: it’s essentially about a guy (Zach Braff) who cheats on his beautiful pregnant fiancée (Jacinda Barrett) with a hot young college student (Rachel Bilson). Quite the catch, ladies!

I think I’ll stick with Happiness* and Your Friends and Neighbors, thanks.

*I actually rented this with someone as a date movie. Not just a date movie, either–one of those, “Let’s get together and ‘rent a movie,'” movies.

21 thoughts on Why Zach Braff Really Irritates Me

  3. Oooh! Be careful! I made the mistake of criticizing The Last Kiss in an admittedly inflammatory way, and shucks. The Braff lovers came out of the woodwork.
    I like Zach Braff. I hated his most recent movie, and I question his judgment in accepting the role.
    But hey. The soundtrack’s good.

  4. I wonder how many relationships stalled midway through Happiness or Your Friends and Neighbors or, well, any Neil LaBute film, for that matter. I remember watching In the Company of Men with my then-girlfriend, now-wife. As we were walking out of the theater, she was eyeing me something funny. And that was only the first time Neil LaBute put a strain on our relationship.* Forty-five minutes into The Shape of Things, she was ready to file for divorce…

    *Yes, I know LaBute isn’t responsible for Happiness, but he could be.

  7. Okay piny, I’ve always loved your blogging. But now that I know, via this link and the Tomato Nation 9/11 essay link, that you’re ALSO a Damn Hell Ass Kings sites fan? That is just too cool.

  11. Norbiz, I’ll go halfers on shredding the Wheadonverse if you’re up.

    (I’ll have to do it quietly. My best friend and my girlfriend both love Buffy.)

  12. Norbiz, I’ll go halfers on shredding the Wheadonverse if you’re up.

    NOOOOOOOOOO!
    I’m telling!

  14. So, even though he neither wrote nor directed the film, you actually hate him for being in it? Do you hate everyone else that stars in it as well? And I suppose you hate Natalie Portman for playing that dumb, airheaded character (a description I don’t agree with)?

    Honestly, you act like Garden State is some kind of anti-feminist Fahrenheit 9/11.

    Puh-leez.

    I’m not saying the man is a genious, but, for Christ’s sake, it’s a danged movie. Maybe we should blame the original authors of L’Ultimo Bacio on which the film is based? That film won 5 of the 10 awards it was nominated for in Italy.

    I’m just curious why Zach Braff is taking all the heat for this…

  16. I thought Braff didn’t just star in it, he also produced it and/or participated in the writing of the script. Both of which imply a lot more involvement than just accepting a movie role.

  17. Braff wrote and directed Garden State; he did neither for The Last Kiss (though he apparently suggested some of the dialogue). I genuinely don’t get all the Braffh8, either, especially this particular criticism. Yes, The Last Kiss is about a guy who cheats on his pregnant fiancee with a hot young college student. I mean… that’s what it’s about. The character’s not supposed to be sympathetic when he decides to cheat on her, he’s supposed to be someone who screwed up for no good reason and deserves to suffer for it.

  18. Garden State was written and directed by Braff. The Last Kiss was not. However, if the “voice of our generation” crap will be heaped upon him, why can’t the backlash also be directed at him?

  19. I’m quite enjoying the Brafflash. I love him on “Scrubs.” I even sort of liked “Garden State.” But Zach Braff, and his mopey and introspective suburban white boy routine, is certainly not the “voice of my generation.”
    Plus he cheated on Mandy Moore, and I haven’t forgiven him yet. 🙂

  20. Oh my God, so I’ve been puzzling for over a week about who on earth Zach Braff actually *is*.

    I finally Google Image’d him and realized he’s that guy I’ve been seeing every few months who I always think looks like he could be Keanu Reeves’ younger (and somewhat more concious) brother.

    Man, this guy’s face annoys me!

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