April 10, 2014 - 11:33 AMT
Zach Braff's “Wish I Was Here” unveils 1st trailer

Zach Braff's directorial debut, “Garden State,” was met with critical acclaim in 2004, and the first trailer for his second feature, “Wish I Was Here”, suggests it will be greeted with a similar reception, TheWrap said.

The preview is light on story, but heavy on intriguing visuals of southern California, the characters, and The Shins — an indie rock band that Braff exposed to mainstream audiences when he featured two of their songs on the “Garden State” soundtrack.

“Wish I Was Here,” which Braff crowdfunded on Kickstarter, is about a 35-year-old struggling actor, father and husband (Braff), who is still trying to find his identity and purpose. He decides to take on the task of home schooling his children when his sick father can no longer afford to put them through private school.

Kate Hudson, Josh Gad, Joey King, Pierce Gagnon, Ashley Greene, Jim Parsons, and Donald Faison co-star in the Focus Features film.

“Wish” hits theaters July 18.