Wish I Was Here: Movie Review

I know that the 2004 directorial debut from Zach Braff, “Garden State” has a whole lot of fans. I am not one of them. I never thought it was a bad film, I just couldn’t get into it. Now it’s ten years later and Braff has written and directed “Wish I Was Here”, which actually is a bad movie. I mean, really bad. Braff made headlines a couple of years ago when he launched a crowd-funding campaign raising money to produce “Wish I Was Here”. His successful campaign marked a change in the industry and Rob Thomas followed with a campaign to produce a “Veronica Mars” movie.

Aidan (Braff) is a 35 year old unsuccessful actor. His wife Sarah (Kate Hudson) is stuck in a job that she hates so she can make sure the bills are paid while allowing her husband to live his dream. They also have two kids, Tucker (Pierce Gagnon) and Grace (Joey King).

When Aidan’s father Gabe (Mandy Patinkin) is struck with terminal cancer, he decides to use the remainder of his finances for an experimental treatment. Because Gabe was paying for his grandchildren’s Hebrew School education, Aiden and Sarah decided to pull them out and try home-schooling instead of public school.

Much of “Wish I was Here” has to do with Aidan and his brother Noah (Josh Gad) having to sort out some issues they have with their father before his passing. It also has to do with Aiden finally growing up and stop being so selfish. Unfortunately, it feels like there are so many messages trying to be told and they all kind of mesh into each other. Braff feels totally miscast, even though he cast himself. Joey King and Josh Gad are really the only ones here who are a pleasure to watch. Alexander Chaplin is also great as the Rabbi with a sense of humor. The biggest issue I had was just how boring “Wish I Was Here” was. The film drags on at a snail’s pace and by the mid-way point, I just wanted it to be over. I wish everyone skips “Wish I Was Here”

By: Marc Ferman