At first glance, “Nebraska” is as interesting as its namesake suggests. A road-trip drama centered on a drunken old man and his speaker salesman son, set in the plains of the Midwest that is bereft of color and action hardly seems worth the price of admission. For those who find themselves in possession of a ticket, however, “Nebraska” reveals itself to be a heartfelt dramedy that sheds light on everything from the splendor of the human spirit to the damage dealt by the recent recession.
The film opens on a long shot of an old man walking alone on the side of a highway with nothing but the sound of the occasional passing car to fill the silence. As he limps along at a haggard pace, a police officer pulls up beside him to ask where he’s going. The man, without stopping, mutely points forward. The officer chuckles and asks where he’s coming from, and the man jerks his thumb behind him.
“Nebraska” immediately presents itself as equal parts poetic and humorous within these first few minutes, setting a precedent for what’s to come. We quickly discover that Woody (Bruce Dern), the old man, was attempting to walk from his hometown of Billings, Mont., to Lincoln, Neb., in order to cash in on what is surely a magazine scam promising him a prize of $1 million. His son David (Will Forte) comes to pick him up from the lobby of the police station and attempts to explain to him that there is no prize. Despite this explanation and a few more, Woody insists on going to Lincoln, so his son begrudgingly indulges him, setting up the interstate road trip that follows.
It is jarring to see Forte in this role of the levelheaded bearer of reason here. As he walks on screen for the very first time something just seems wrong. Why is this comedian, best known for his work as the incompetent goofball McGruber, in this film at all, much less in one of the lead dramatic roles?
Once the shock has subsided however, it quickly becomes clear why director Alexander Payne chose Forte over other proven dramatic actors considered for the role, such as Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Casey Affleck. His performance is exactly what was needed for this part. There is a subtle mix of humor, tenderness and understanding conveyed by Forte as the pair journey through the open plains. David is fueled by a mixture of good intentions, bad luck and failure, a careful balance that Forte maintains throughout the film.
Dern’s portrayal of the stubborn, dementia-prone Woody is a perfect complement to Forte’s performance. Woody is a man of few words, but Dern turns less into more through body language and careful delivery. Everyone has some sort of opinion of Woody and although it may not seem like it all the time, he is very much aware of his own shortcomings.
Payne’s risks pay off at every turn of this film. Not only does he manage to make us more than accept a comedic actor in a dramatic role, he’s also artfully drawn a wealth of beauty from what would initially seem a dry well. The empty plains and barren small town streets show a side of America rarely observed through Hollywood’s lens. There’s pain here, an injury wrought by loss that hasn’t quite healed. Payne uses this as an opportunity to show how these desperate times bring out the best of the good and the worst of the despicable. Payne wisely opted to shoot on location, even going so far as to use locals with no acting experience resulting in one of the most realistic cinematic experiences of 2013.
His decision to deliver the film in black and white is entirely justified. Without color the contour of the far-reaching plains becomes a heavenly expanse of natural space that evokes an emotional response rivaled only by the touching tale they play host to.
There are certainly flashier films in theaters right now, but none are as carefully executed as Payne’s latest. It is a snapshot of the world around us, perfectly capturing what it means to be a family. “Nebraska” is an unbiased and unforgiving mirror, reflecting human nature in all of its purity and its indecency.
Cory Willey can be reached at [email protected].
