Review of Nebraska (2013) by Robert H — 07 Jul 2014

This movie is my introduction to Alexander Payne and I am very impressed. With a simple story and homegrown, naturalistic performances from his actors, he created a movie that resonated with me in a strong way.

NEBRASKA is about an old man, played by Bruce Dern, who gets one of those Publisher's Clearinghouse-type of letters in the mail and thinks he's won a million dollars. All he has to do is take the letter with him to Lincoln, Nebraska.

Eventually his son, played by Will Forte, decides to take him there in order to placate him. Along the way, he learns a lot about his family and grows closer with his father. Thematically, there's actually quite a bit going on beneath the surface.

On one hand, you have subtle commentary on the illusory nature of the "American dream" but the film says more about finding a sense of purpose, self-worth and hope. And all of it is shown through the lens of small-town America.

It wasn't anything profound, but it didn't need to be. It was simple, straightforward and did it in a very homey way. Speaking of "homey." I thought the character work here was as strong as anything I've seen in years.

It's like the actors weren't even acting. They just seemed that real to me, like these were people I could have known when I was growing up. They had such an authentic manner of speaking, and a lot of what they said was endearing and comical, in equal measure.

Though the entire cast gives great performances, the standouts were Bruce Dern (who got a well-deserved win at Cannes last year), Will Forte and (to my surprise, although I didn't have any expectations going in) June Squibb as Woody's long-suffering wife.

She was a very no-nonsense woman who was given some brilliantly acerbic dialogue. Will Forte also gave a performance I'd never have expected from him, given the comic persona he honed on Saturday Night Live.

And Bruce Dern, as usual, gave an outstanding performance as a man who finds something to live for, even if it's just in his mind. It's like this movie was the real-life crowning achievement that his character hopes for in the film.

As far as other aspects go, the movie was shot in black-and-white, an appropriate choice in my opinion. It, along with the conservative camerawork, gave the movie a stripped-down feel which helped to bring out the story and dialogue more, as opposed to the imagery (which still looked fantastic).

This movie was also all shot on location, and there was great work there as well. I also loved the score, which had a down-home feel to it with the minimalist strings and guitar (banjo?). Had I seen this last year, I'm positive this would have been my pick for the best one.

Still, it's great that I've finally seen it and I look forward to digging further into Alexander Payne's back catalog. Highly recommended to any self-respecting cinephile.