Bruce Dern Will Forte June Squibb Bob Odenkirk Stacy Keach
Nebraska
is a wonderful picture about old age—literally in black and white. Black and white is apt, not only
because of its photographic clarity, but also because it sometimes shows the
grayness and bleakness that is frequently a part of old age. As father and son go driving through
the bare snowy landscape of Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska, it
metaphorically captures what Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) is experiencing in the
senescence of his life, and something he is fighting against as mightily as he
can.
Woody has a dream that he just cannot let go
of; he is convinced when he receives a notice in the mail that he has “won” a
million dollars, he fails to read the fine print that says he will actually be entered into a contest for the prize if he buys certain magazines. No amount of reasoning or reading the
paper aloud on the part of his family will convince him, and after he takes off
walking toward Lincoln, his son David (Will Forte) compassionately offers to
drive him on the assumption that when Woody is told “officially” he has not
won, his father will be convinced.
Besides, his son sees it as an opportunity to have some quality time
with his dad, who was not an attentive father to his sons.
The road trip has many adventures, some of which
are very trying, and others even more trying. They end up stopping in the family’s old hometown, where
they visit relatives, and Woody’s wife Kate (June Squibb) and other son Ross
(Bob Odenkirk) join them. Then
they get to find out all the debts they suddenly “owe”, once Woody spills the
beans that he is now a millionaire.
When they finally make it to Lincoln to the prize offices, Woody is
indeed given the truth, but the adventures are still not over. The ending is classic Alexander
Payne: bittersweet but satisfying.
Payne is a master of characterizations that
seem familiar to all of us; we are convinced we have met them before in our own
lives. Moreover, he has a sixth
sense about casting where the actors fit into the characters
hand-in-glove. Bruce Dern—an
unlikely choice at first glance—perfectly captures Woody’s agedness, from his “Huh?!”
to every question posed to his wild-eyed look of surprise when someone stops
him from walking to Lincoln. This
is especially noteworthy because the actor himself is still so sharp
minded. On a Charlie Rose
interview, his memory was keen, and his wit very quick.
The other main characters are also extremely
well cast. Will Forte’s
performance is probably the best of his career as an actor; he is a perfect
foil for Bruce Dern’s character, who can be trying. Forte as one of his sons conveys patience, compassion and
love with complete genuineness.
June Squibb is a standout for her cheekiness in playing Dern’s wife, and
her stating plainly what is going on in situations where others are hemming and
hawing or playing a con game. Bob
Odenkirk as Dern’s other son, and Stacy Keach, one of his old partners, are
both great supports.
Nebraska is sure to capture some Oscar
nominations, so you won’t want to miss it.
