IN his second film after “Garden State” (2004), director Zach Braff plays aspiring actor Aidan, upon whom life’s burdens, while individually relatively minor, are steadily piling up.

The Jewish school is threatening to bar his children (Joey King and Pierce Gagnon) unless outstanding fees are promptly paid. His retired father (Mandy Patinkin) needs all his savings to pay hospital bills. Brother Noah (Josh Gad) can’t help. Wife Sarah (Kate Hudson) who keys data into spreadsheets to pay the bills is fending off an unwelcome male colleague. The pool and the back fence need refurbishing. And his latest casting call is for a black actor.

The Swear Jar, reserved to pay for the kids’ college education, is somehow getting fuller and fuller in this single-income household.

“Wish I Was Here” doesn’t fit neatly into any generic classification. Its heart-warming comic passages ease the pain of waiting for the epiphany that never comes, of mourning a beloved father, of watching a relationship struggle against undeserved adversity.

How Braff’s screenplay deals with those difficulties has one underlying flaw. Life has no obligation to be all milk and honey, roses and sunshine, success and fulfilment. Aidan’s insistence on pursuing his acting ambition is the root cause of his problems. Of course, there’d be no film if he got a job. He’s a nice guy, his determination not compounded by nastiness. But he’d be happier if his family better understood his attitudes.

At Capitol 6, Palace Electric and Dendy