Few films of the early 00’s have aged as poorly as “Garden State,” Zach Braff’s hyper-precocious Gen-Y Me drama. At the time, most of us regarded the film as it deserved to be considered — tripe — but even the picture’s ardent defenders feel the bloom was off the rose long ago. Fortunately, television has kept Braff from daring to get back behind the camera, but the death of “Scrubs” has suddenly given him more than a little free time.
The skinny-faced television actor revealed in an interview with TimeOutNY that he’s got plenty of potential ways to threaten audiences with his insufferable, outdated twee-ness. “There were a couple times I tried to put together a movie, and for one delicious Hollywood reason or another, they never came to fruition. But I’m hoping to direct’ Swingles’ soon. And I’m in the midst of [writing] my first original since Garden State. I’m also writing a play, because now that I live in New York, I’m infatuated with the theater.”
He clarifies the original work is not a sequel to “Garden State,” but “more in the ‘Garden State’ oeuvre.” As for “Swingles,” it’s a long-in-development script that Braff came on to re-write back in May of ’09 about a man who seeks an obnoxious woman to serve as his new wingman in the dating scene. Braff was slated to feature in the film as a supporting actor, while the female lead was long linked to Cameron Diaz. TimeOutNY mentions he’s likely to shoot “Swingles” this fall, but suggests no ways to persuade him otherwise.