Written by academy award winner Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby, Crash), The Last Kiss centers on four male friends living in Madison, Wisconsin on the brink of their thirtieth birthdays. Does anyone else smell a quarter-life crisis in the works? Zach Braff plays Michael, a successful architect with a beautiful and down to earth girlfriend, Jenna, played by ex MTV real-worlder Jacinda Barrett. The couple, facing new responsibilities, are considering all the “scary” things in life--settling down, buying a house, having a family, etc. These thoughts terrify Michael who coincidently meets the intriguing college student Kim, played by the OC’s Rachel Bilson at a friends wedding. Kim, a somewhat aggressive pursuer won’t take no for an answer, and Michael soon finds himself in a compromising position. How Michael deals with the aftermath of his decisions is what propels the second half of the movie and its intense to say the least. Jacinda Barrett could not be more real in her role as a hurt and angry woman. Maybe I was prejudiced because of her MTV status, but her acting chops were a wonderful surprise to me. Zach Braff does a good job in making the audience feel both empathy and anger for his relatable Michael.

His three best friends all have their own quarter life crises as well- Michael Weston, also in Garden State, plays Izzy, who is dealing with his father’s illness and a bad break-up. Eric Christian Olsen as Kenny is a single and somewhat lost bartender who doesn’t remember if he is twenty-eight years old, or in fact twenty-nine. Casey Affleck rounds out the group with the most interesting role of Chris, a conflicted young father. Blythe Danner and Tom Wilkinson play Jenna’s parents, a married couple of thirty years who while dealing with their own marriage issues, give sage advice to the young couple Michael and Jenna.

The Last Kiss although incredibly thought provoking in parts falls short in many other ways as it tries to be too many things- a hybrid of Garden State and Good Will Hunting, it does not have its own clear voice. Its commentary on relationships and what it takes to make them work is moving, however I left wishing that the movie explored the lives of his friends more. With such a great cast, it’s difficult to not see them all in their glory.

The Last Kiss, though not an uplifting date movie, does provide incredible moments of clarity and asks those questions you wake up with the next morning still pondering. The last Kiss is no Garden State, but it is Zach, and well, that’s something isn’t it?