Garden State was released in theaters on July 28, 2004 and tells the unusual story of an actor who struggles to find love and a new life after returning to his hometown following the death of his mother.

The romantic dramedy, which currently holds an 86 percent freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, grossed over $35 million worldwide at the box office and won Best Debut Film at the 2005 Independent Spirit Awards. Its acclaimed soundtrack also sent fans streaming straight from the theater to their nearest record store, with the album later beating out Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 2 and Shrek 2 for the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album.

Despite being directed and starring Zach Braff, who was in the midst of a TV career on Scrubs, and starring Natalie Portman, Garden State faced numerous obstacles. The film struggled to secure financing and was ultimately made on a shoestring budget of $2.5 million.