Nebraska Movie Review (2013)
A quiet, slow-burning film about a father and son on a road trip to possibly collect a sweepstakes prize, Nebraska is understated and funny, with a tenderness that peeks through the cracks.
I love June Squibb. If someone were to ask me to choose an emotional support animal from the list of actors that I enjoy watching, her name would be right among the top. She is wonderful on screen – clever, authentic, and often funny, but she can carry a drama with the best of them as well (see both dynamics in Eleanor The Great). She has that movie magic.
Nebraska centers on Woody Grant, an older man living in Billings, Montana, who is arrested for walking on the interstate while trying to get to Lincoln, Nebraska, to claim a million-dollar sweepstakes prize. His wife, Kate, and two adult sons, David and Ross, continue to insist that the letter he’s received is a scam, but Woody is determined to go. David offers to take his father on a road trip, stopping in Hawthorne, Nebraska, after David learns that’s where Woody grew up.
This quirky film has the feeling of an indie from the very first frames (even though it was distributed by Paramount Pictures). Shot in a beautifully soft black-and-white, it feels reminiscent of “old times,” when they say that life was simpler.
The plot is minimal in this character-driven story, so you hone in on the people you’re watching. Woody never talked about where he grew up? Has he always been this belligerent? Kate gets frustrated with him, but knows who he is and is a little out of the box herself. Has she always been like that? What was it like for David and Ross to grow up in this household? I enjoyed answering these questions with the information they given, as well as what I inferred, because I became really interested in these people.
With a serving of dry humor, I found myself laughing quite a bit at the dialogue, the situation comedy, and the reactions of others. There isn’t a lot going on in this Midwest town, so anything happening is something special, and the idea that Woody could be a millionaire is something to talk about.
Nebraska stars Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, and Bob Odenkirk, and everyone is wonderful. I have not seen Will Forte in many movies where he was more of a straight man, so it was a bonus to watch something new from his bag of tricks. And, as much as Woody might try to rub you the wrong way, Bruce Dern has an inherent ability to make you want to look behind the mask.
While I was vibing with the movie, I never noticed the slow-growing attachment that I developed to everyone and everything. By the end, I had full tugs at my heartstrings. Nebraska is extremely observational, much like it probably was growing up in the Grant household, so when I felt an unexpected warmth in the second half of the film, everything clicked for me. This is a great watch.
Runtime: 114 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
