Nebraska

Directed by Alexander Payne and written by Bob Nelson, Nebraska details the road trip that ensues after a thirtysomething stereo salesman (Will Forte’s David Grant) agrees to accompany his father (Bruce Dern’s Woody) to the titular locale – where the older man believes he will be able to collect a $1 million sweepstakes prize. It’s clear immediately that Payne is going for a nostalgic, unabashedly old-school feel, with the movie’s black-and-white cinematography merely the tip of the iceberg in terms of its far-from-modern sensibilities – as Nebraska progresses at a seriously deliberate pace and, for the most part, emphasizes small, character-based moments over plot. The almost excessively subdued atmosphere prevents Nebraska from becoming anything more than a passable endeavor, and yet it’s just as clear that the movie benefits substantially from its pervasively easy-going atmosphere and smattering of Oscar-worthy performances – with, of course, Dern’s masterful turn as the central character remaining a consistent highlight. (It’s worth noting, too, that Forte does a surprisingly good job in a rare dramatic role.) The movie’s shambling, episodic structure ensures that certain sequences fare much better than others, and it’s ultimately clear that Nebraska is at its best when focused on the father/son dynamic between Dern and Forte’s respective characters – with the heartfelt authenticity of such moments generally compensating for the movie’s various deficiencies. The end result is a typically uneven effort from director Payne, with the movie’s lackluster nature especially disappointing given its proliferation of positive attributes.

**1/2 out of ****