Demetri Martin’s “Dean” Trailer: Could This Be the Next “Garden State”? (Video)

I’ve always liked Demetri Martin. I liked his Comedy Central series Important Things with Demetri Martin, and I have two of his stand-up albums, which are both original and inventive. So I’m rooting for Martin’s directorial debut Dean to work, even though this trailer doesn’t do much for me.

For starters, there are way too many of Martin’s cutesy drawings. Three would’ve sufficed — one at the beginning, middle, and end. More importantly, the story of a man coming to terms with the death of his mother feels a little familiar, especially with this kind of quirky indie dramedy tone, but I suppose Martin could bring something new to that well-worn subgenre given his unique worldview.

The folks at the Tribeca Film Festival certainly agreed, as Dean won the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature at last year’s festival, which is a good sign.

Martin is joined by Gillian Jacobs, who between this and Netflix’s Love is quickly becoming a go-to love interest for unconventional leading men, as well as Mary Steenburgen and the always-welcome Kevin Kline.

CBS Films will release Dean in select theaters on June 2. Watch the trailer above and let us know if you think Martin has what it takes to deliver the next Garden State.

 Jeff Sneider | Editor in Chief