Zach Braff Movie, Shot In 2 Essex County Towns, Gets 2023 Opening Date

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — You can go home again. Actor Zach Braff returned to his old school, Columbia High School in Maplewood, a year ago to shoot scenes from his feature film "A Good Person." This month, MGM announced a release date for the film: March 2023.

"The filming took place for two days during our fall break in early November" of 2021, said district spokesperson Anide Eustache this month.

Braff, who starred in TV's "Scrubs" from 2001-2010, and wrote and directed the film "Garden State" (2004), shot scenes for his new creation on Columbia's athletic fields and at the South Orange train station in 2021, according to published reports in NJ Monthly and Village Green.

The movie stars Florence Pugh (whom Braff was dating until this year) and Morgan Freeman. In the film, Pugh's character is engaged and sees her life turned around when the car she's driving winds up in an accident that kills her would-be sister-in-law.

While recovering from the crash, Pugh's character becomes addicted to painkillers and grows closer to Freeman's character, her would-be father-in-law. The film shows the unpredictability of life.

Columbia High School Principal Frank Sanchez shared in his newsletter last year, according to Village Green, "Ritzer Field was used for one of the scenes in the film as well. It is a low-budget movie, but I’m hoping they have some CGI money tucked away somewhere so that it looks like we have a nice, green turf field. (Ida wiped out the grass last month.) At least we have some sharp Columbia uniforms making an appearance in the film!"

The trailer was released two weeks ago from MGM and can be watched here.