Flash Movie Review: Nebraska
It takes a person with a certain disposition who can enjoy living in a small town. They find comfort in knowing their neighbors, bumping into friends at the local supermarket, having their children attending the same school and living a simpler lifestyle than in a large metropolis. I am so not one of those individuals; in fact, I would probably get claustrophobic if I had to live in a small town. Being born and raised in a large city, I find comfort in the anonymity of being part of the masses. I do not know if it is due to how I was raised or to the hostile environment I experienced in high school, but for years I have always felt safer being invisible and not standing out. Now I will say I do not have a problem visiting small towns. There is something to be said for kicking back and going at a slower pace from time to time. If you can appreciate the attributes of small town living, you might get a quicker kick out of this dramatic adventure film. When mentally confused Woody Grant, played by Bruce Dern (Monster, Last Man Standing), received a notice stating he could be a million dollar sweepstakes winner, he was determined to make his way from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska to pick up his winnings–even if he had to go on foot. With his youngest son David, played by Will Forte (The Watch, MacGruber), being the only family member to show compassion for his dad, they took off on a road trip that brought them some unexpected surprises. This beautiful black and white film directed by Alexander Payne (The Descendants, About Schmidt) unfolded like the sipping of a sweet tea on a lazy summer day. There were no big or thrilling moments per se; instead, scenes bloomed with satiric wit and touching realizations. The actor that stole ever scene she was in was June Squibb (Meet Joe Black, Scent of a Woman) as Woody’s wife Kate. She was a hoot with her take no prisoners persona. I found myself being drawn into this quirky story as it revealed more and more the realities of small town living. There were several scenes where I laughed out loud as the stellar acting carried us along for the ride. Though I still would not want to live in a tiny residential area, I would gladly go visit this family and sit down to a piece of homemade pie and some iced tea.
3 2/3 stars
Posted on November 26, 2013, in Dramedy and tagged 3 2/3 stars, alexander payne, bruce dern, drama, humor, june squibb, stacy keach, sweepstakes, will forte. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
This is the first time that I’ve heard of this film so thanks for the heads up. I loved The Descendants – it’s one of those films that you think about for years afterwards. It also showed a completely different side of Hawaii to the Magnum PI world that most of us are used to. If Nebraska is even half as good, it’ll be worth a watch..
Bruce Dern won an award at the Cannes Film Festival and I believe he will be nominated for an Oscar. This film was such a treat visually; I loved seeing Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Please come and tell me when you have seen the movie.
Love the B&W use! I will wait to watch it! Thank you for this suggestion as well! It got one of the highest ratings I have seen from you! By the way, which is the top grade (5?) and name a movie that deserves it, if you please!
Ok, when you get to see this film I would enjoy to hear your views. To answer your question my highest rating is 4 stars. So far this year I gave Short Term 12, Captain Phillips and 12 Years a Slave 4 stars. I hope you get to see at least one of these soon.
Thank you! Will try and surely let you know!