Director Alexander Payne's latest film, Nebraska, is a heartfelt, humorous, offbeat father-son story. It's a beautiful little movie about dreams and regrets.
As the film begins, retired alcoholic auto mechanic Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) keeps wandering away from his home in Billings, Montana. It seems he's determined to walk to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim a million dollar sweepstakes prize he believes he's won. His family is dubious, but Woody is steadfast. Finally, his youngest son, David (SNL-vet Will Forte), agrees to simply drive him there in order to settle the matter once and for all. But Woody is injured shortly after the start of the journey and David decides they should take a detour to Woody's hometown of Hawthorne, Nebraska to allow him to recuperate for a couple of days. Once there, Woody retraces his past and encounters some old faces; David, meanwhile, gets to know his father in a way he never has before.
Dern gives a brilliantly restrained performance, proving that less-is-more. Forte is perfectly deadpan as the patient, accommodating David who is experiencing a role reversal now that he's the one who must care for his aging parent. And June Squibb steals every scene she's in as Woody's self-centered, brutally frank wife. For her, an Oscar-nomination would be much deserved.
The movie's aesthetic is beautiful simplicity. Phedon Papamichael's black and white cinematography helps set the tone, as does Mark Orton's terrific score, which is performed using sparse, acoustic guitar-driven arrangements. The dialogue is wonderful as well; screenwriter Bob Nelson has a great ear for how people really talk.
Whether or not Woody is really a prizewinner is a mystery that's not solved until the end. But moviegoers are all surely winners for having the chance to experience this small gem of cinema.
As the film begins, retired alcoholic auto mechanic Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) keeps wandering away from his home in Billings, Montana. It seems he's determined to walk to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim a million dollar sweepstakes prize he believes he's won. His family is dubious, but Woody is steadfast. Finally, his youngest son, David (SNL-vet Will Forte), agrees to simply drive him there in order to settle the matter once and for all. But Woody is injured shortly after the start of the journey and David decides they should take a detour to Woody's hometown of Hawthorne, Nebraska to allow him to recuperate for a couple of days. Once there, Woody retraces his past and encounters some old faces; David, meanwhile, gets to know his father in a way he never has before.
Dern gives a brilliantly restrained performance, proving that less-is-more. Forte is perfectly deadpan as the patient, accommodating David who is experiencing a role reversal now that he's the one who must care for his aging parent. And June Squibb steals every scene she's in as Woody's self-centered, brutally frank wife. For her, an Oscar-nomination would be much deserved.
The movie's aesthetic is beautiful simplicity. Phedon Papamichael's black and white cinematography helps set the tone, as does Mark Orton's terrific score, which is performed using sparse, acoustic guitar-driven arrangements. The dialogue is wonderful as well; screenwriter Bob Nelson has a great ear for how people really talk.
Whether or not Woody is really a prizewinner is a mystery that's not solved until the end. But moviegoers are all surely winners for having the chance to experience this small gem of cinema.