NEBRASKA DVD (2013)

SYNOPSIS: In Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska” a father and son steer the American road comedy into a vanishing Midwest on the trail of a dubious fortune – and in search of an understanding of each other that once seemed impossible. This is the story of the Grant family of Hawthorne, Nebraska. Now transplanted to Billings, Montana, stubborn, taciturn Woody (Bruce Dern in a role that won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival) is well past his prime -- such as it ever was -- and possibly his usefulness, but he believes he’s got one last shot at mattering: a notice that he’s the lucky winner of a million-dollar sweepstakes. To claim his fortune, Woody insists he must quickly get to the sweepstakes company’s office in Lincoln, Nebraska – a 750-mile journey that seems unlikely given that he can barely shuffle down the road a few blocks, at least not without stopping for a drink. Worried for his father’s state of mind, it falls to Woody’s reluctant, baffled son David (Will Forte) to accompany him on a trip that seems hilariously futile on the surface. Yet, their odd journey becomes a kind of modern family odyssey. When Woody and David make a pit-stop in their hometown of Hawthorne – with the Grant’s tart-tongued matriarch (June Squibb, “About Schmidt”) and anchor-man son (Bob Odenkirk, “Breaking Bad”) joining them – word of Woody’s fortune makes him, momentarily, a returning hero. Then it brings out the vultures. But it also opens a view into the unseen lives of David’s parents and a past more alive than he ever imagined. Shot in a black and white Cinemascope that mirrors the dusky beauty of small-town USA and the film’s high contrasts of humor and heartbreak, the film gives comic consideration to questions of family roots and family riddles, delusion and dignity, self-worth and the quiet yearning for a dash of salvation.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Director Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendents) calls the visual style of Nebraska as austere as the lives of its people.

Indeed, the black and white feature is about a somber road trip taken by a pair of father and son. Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) is an aging alcoholic who believed he has won a million dollars in a sweepstake. With his car license revoked, the cantankerous Woody insists on walking on foot to Nebraska to collect his prize. Obviously a marketing scam and much to his mother’s dismay, David (Will Forte) decides to drive his father from Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska to fulfill his wish.

While Nebraska might sounds like a simple road trip indie drama, it is not. It’s filled to the brim with little gems and delves into topics like family relationships, old age and much more. The state of Nebraska is million of miles away from Singapore and surprisingly, who knows our everyday problems are almost eerily similar.

When was the last time you did something worthy with your aged old parents? Or when was the last time you actually talk to them in person? Through the character of David, Nebraska brought a whole new perspective of the importance of family to viewers. David despite knowing the whole scam thingy accompanied old Grant on a journey that consists of frequent alcohol stops, injuries and the ugliness of extended family members who are eyeing on Woody’s newfound ‘fortune’.

The script by Bob Nelson (consider that Payne wasn’t involved in the scriptwriting for the first time) is equally funny and touching. June Squibb who plays mum Kate is perfect as the acerbic matriarch and her retorts often politically incorrect are hilarious. Bruce Dern delivers a wrenching performance as a man who probably doesn’t deserve the state he is in and comedian Will Forte is wonderfully earnest in his role as the sympathetic son.

Nebraska is a meaningful film with lots of heart. It might even make you shed a tear or two when Woody reveals the true reason why he wanted the million dollars. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Despite being black and white, image clarity is omnipresent and the soundtrack provides a clear listening experience. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee