"Wish I Was Here": Zach Braff's Hothouse State

Wish I Was Here is Zach Braff's first movie since he came out with Garden State a decade ago. You might say the actor-turned-director-writer-producer has grown sentimental in his late 30s. With his new effort, Braff has been guileless -- or manipulative -- enough to wear his heart on his sleeve. He aligns himself with a branch of family comedy that admits bodily functions and ethnic flourishes as grist for laughs, yet readily veers into pathos.  Part sitcom, part indie drama...