Aging fathers with grimy-gritty sunken eyes, extensive mood-swings,
dawdling fidgety walk, obstinacy in attitude and wrinkles all over being often
projected as trophies for gaining life-experiences over the years, we all have
met! Haven’t we? And mothers, always being cribby, bawling-howling over his downright
failure to rise up as a better family man like someone in the neighborhood or
in distant relation. Families in general have always been like that. Alexander
Payne’s family drama NEBRASKA is exactly that. A family, I would not call a
dysfunctional but a regular ‘been there-seen that’ kind of, with very existent emotions
nevertheless, hitting all the right notes.
Veteran Bruce Dern plays Woody Grant, an awfully old alcoholic wanting
to leave something for their sons before taking depart from the world and
desperately craving for travelling to Nebraska to collect prize-money of a
million dollar in a magazine subscription sweepstake. He’s been told more than
once about the nitty-gritty and the practicalities of the scheme but in view of
his fortitude, urge and persistent actions, his son David [played by Will
Forte] decides to take him through the journey he’s been anxious about.
However, the loud-mouthed cynical mother Kate [played by June Squibb] doesn’t
really approve the madness.
Soon they hit the road; it proves to be a voyage to look back what has
been earned till when Woody gets reunited with his brother’s family and all
life neighbors in his native place. Later, when accidently someone breaks the
news of Woody soon getting into the league of millionaires, everyone seems a
little more cordial towards him. His one of the best buddies tries to wrestle
for some money allegedly he had loaned Woody only God knows when. David’s
good-for-nothing cousins who were dead sarcastic about him till now, tries to
rob them for the winning lottery ticket. And in between all this havoc, David
starts knowing his father better. The bonding is strengthened and though Woody
never actually wins the money, he takes u-turn with a consolatory hat with the
caption ‘Prize-Winner’ written in bold and clear.
Shot admirably in black & white, NEBRASKA captures the scenic locales
with extra-widen long shots and sets an atmospheric tone to the film.
Characters here are well-written and don’t leave much scope for any disbelief
regarding their existence. Drama is subtle and comedy comes mostly with deadpan
humor. In one scene, David finds Woody’s lost denture and returns him with saying
a practical joke that this doesn’t look his denture. Woody takes it seriously
and denies taking it back; now the joke is on the son and when you realize it,
you also get amazed even this man of lesser words could be funny at times.
On the performances, Bruce Dern is beyond conviction. The thin line
between the character and the performer is almost blurred and shows no signage
of separation. June Squibb as complaining, crabby, opinionated but cutely amiable
mother is first-rate. THE DESCENDANTS fame Alexander Payne’s NEBRASKA is a road
movie that takes you on an emotionally rich, simply humorous, superbly written and
luminously performed journey not very inventive, novel and unseen in idea but performances
are worth taking this ride! [3.5/5]
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