Upon his mother's death, a young man returns from L.A. to his New Jersey hometown after a nine year absence. He confronts his past, runs into old buddies and meets a new friend.

A simple-looking film but with some great characters and refined script. Zach Braff (of TV's Scrubs) writes, directs and stars in this tale of a reluctant homecoming. His script is smart and maintains respect for the audience even if a couple elements don't come together all that well.

Braff does a nice job in the lead role and Portman gives her best performance in years. But it is Peter Sarsgaard who really comes up big in his portrayal of Mark, an underachieving buddy who lives with his mother and digs graves for a living but who has a devotion to friends and a remarkable respect for himself.

Also with a good deal of belly laughs, Braff's first film effort should please audiences on a large scale.

Directed by Zach Braff.