It’s been 18 years since writer/director/actor Zach Braff’s directorial debut, “Garden State,” the twee emo-ish Sundance film that taught mainstream audiences to love indie rock or whatever. Braff’s directed lots of things since—2014’s “I Wish I Was Here,” lots of “Scrubs” episodes, 2017’s “Going In Style“—but it’s safe to say none of them captured the zeitgeist in the way “Garden State” did and maybe that’s just a one-time lightning in a bottle event.
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But maybe Braff will have a shot at reclaiming former glories with his next film, a drama titled “A Good Person.” Written and directed by Braff, the movie follows Allison, a young woman who forms an unlikely relationship with her would-be father-in-law following her involvement in a fatal accident.
“A Good Person” stars Florence Pugh—notable for being Braff’s real-life girlfriend for several years before they broke up recently—Molly Shannon, Chinaza Uche, Celeste O’Connor, and Morgan Freeman
Here’s the official synopsis:
Daniel (Morgan Freeman) is brought together with Allison (Florence Pugh), the once-thriving young woman with a bright future who was involved in an unimaginable tragedy that took his daughter’s life. As grief-stricken Daniel navigates raising his teenage granddaughter and Allison seeks redemption, they discover that friendship, forgiveness, and hope can flourish in unlikely places.
It sounds emotional, difficult, and uplifting and who knows, maybe this is the one that puts Braff a little bit back on the mark, though clearly, as a writer/director, he’s content with waiting until inspiration strikes.
A Killer Films and Elevation Pictures Production being released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures, “A Good Person” opens in select theaters on March 24, 2023, and then expands nationally on March 31. Watch the first trailer below.