'Wish I Was Here' features a great performance by Kate Hudson
鈥淲ish I Was Here鈥� is the first movie directed by Zach Braff since his聽indie hit 鈥�Garden State鈥� ten years ago. Serving also as the star and as co-writer (with his brother Adam), he has come up with a more mature work聽this time around 鈥� a not altogether difficult feat. Braff plays Aidan Bloom,聽a struggling actor whose loving wife Sarah (Kate Hudson) supports him聽and their two children (played by Joey King and Pierce Gagnon) in a聽boring public service desk job.
When Aidan鈥檚 contentious father Gabe (Mandy Patinkin) can no longer pay the children鈥檚 yeshiva tuition because聽of serious illness,聽Aidan, who disdains Jewish tradition and also public schools, decides to聽homeschool the kids. He becomes, in effect, a glorified camp counsellor聽for them. This is meant to seem funny and life-affirming but probably will聽do nothing for the kids鈥檚 SAT scores.
Braff plays Aidan with easygoing exasperation and Hudson is better聽than I鈥檝e seen her since 鈥�Almost Famous.鈥� As a director, Braff touches聽on lots of Big Themes: mortality, marriage, fatherhood, the disillusion of聽dreams. Nothing quite comes to full boil, though. Braff undercuts his best聽intentions with sitcom-ish shenanigans, as if he was afraid of losing the聽audience by going deeper. I hope he doesn鈥檛 wait ten years to again take聽the plunge. Grade: B (Rated R for language and some sexual content.)
