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Nebraska, 2013
Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) is an older man living in Billings, Montana, who one day receives a marketing letter that uses the ploy of a "You could already be a millionaire!" as a hook. Taking the letter at face value, Woody is determined to drive to Lincoln, Nebraska to personally claim his prize. Woody's son, David (Will Forte), reluctantly takes the weekend off to drive his father to Nebraska, which includes an illuminating trip through his father's hometown.
At its heart, this is a potent, often funny look at family dynamics and how to make peace with family who might never totally be on your same wavelength.
Performance wise, the film is very solid. Dern is absolutely perfect as a character who is equal parts sympathetic and frustrating. Forte shows off some decent dramatic chops as a man who begins to see his father in a new light as the two of them continue their journey. Also making a strong impression is June Squibb as Woody's foul-mouthed and plain-speaking (to a fault!) wife. Bob Odenkirk plays the couple's older son, a newscaster, while Stacy Keach plays an old friend of Woody's who shows more and more contempt as their visit goes on.
Make no mistake, I don't think that I would want to be part of this family. Both Woody and Kate, his wife, have a habit of speaking bluntly in a way that may be truthful, but often lands as hurtful, as when Kate talks derisively about Woody's dead family member as they are literally standing over the graves of the Grant family. Woody is apparently a lifelong alcoholic. At the same time, we get several moments that show us why David is coming to have a new appreciation for his parents. In one sequence Kate, who until this point has seemed to have only contempt for Woody, viciously stands up for him against greedy relatives. Similarly, a moment of humor between Woody and David shows where the latter got his sense of humor.
The film is shot in an appealing black and white, and the way that long shots and camera angles are used at times transforms Woody's hometown into something even more distant and borderline alien.
I liked the film's simple message about finding the joy in pursuing something with another person, even if it's not what you want to do. As David softens into indulging his father, he is able to find deeper understanding of them both. I thought that the ending was very sweet.
Nebraska, 2013
Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) is an older man living in Billings, Montana, who one day receives a marketing letter that uses the ploy of a "You could already be a millionaire!" as a hook. Taking the letter at face value, Woody is determined to drive to Lincoln, Nebraska to personally claim his prize. Woody's son, David (Will Forte), reluctantly takes the weekend off to drive his father to Nebraska, which includes an illuminating trip through his father's hometown.
At its heart, this is a potent, often funny look at family dynamics and how to make peace with family who might never totally be on your same wavelength.
Performance wise, the film is very solid. Dern is absolutely perfect as a character who is equal parts sympathetic and frustrating. Forte shows off some decent dramatic chops as a man who begins to see his father in a new light as the two of them continue their journey. Also making a strong impression is June Squibb as Woody's foul-mouthed and plain-speaking (to a fault!) wife. Bob Odenkirk plays the couple's older son, a newscaster, while Stacy Keach plays an old friend of Woody's who shows more and more contempt as their visit goes on.
Make no mistake, I don't think that I would want to be part of this family. Both Woody and Kate, his wife, have a habit of speaking bluntly in a way that may be truthful, but often lands as hurtful, as when Kate talks derisively about Woody's dead family member as they are literally standing over the graves of the Grant family. Woody is apparently a lifelong alcoholic. At the same time, we get several moments that show us why David is coming to have a new appreciation for his parents. In one sequence Kate, who until this point has seemed to have only contempt for Woody, viciously stands up for him against greedy relatives. Similarly, a moment of humor between Woody and David shows where the latter got his sense of humor.
The film is shot in an appealing black and white, and the way that long shots and camera angles are used at times transforms Woody's hometown into something even more distant and borderline alien.
I liked the film's simple message about finding the joy in pursuing something with another person, even if it's not what you want to do. As David softens into indulging his father, he is able to find deeper understanding of them both. I thought that the ending was very sweet.