Nebraska (DVD REVIEW)
Nebraska
DVD
Review by Kam Williams
Oscar-Nominated Father-Son
Road Trip Released on DVD
77 year-old Woody Grant (Bruce Dern)
is an addlepated alcoholic whose brain is so bent out of shape that he’s
convinced he’s struck it rich after getting one of those mass-produced letters
in the mail announcing that you’ve just won a million dollars in a magazine
sweepstakes. Nevertheless, he soon sets out on foot by himself from Billings, Montana to
collect his grand prize in Omaha,
Nebraska.
Once it’s clear that the
cantankerous curmudgeon can’t be talked out of that foolhardy endeavor, son
David (Will Forte) opts to drive his dad there. This doesn’t sit well with
Woody’s acid-tongued wife, Kate (June Squibb), who’s too well-grounded in
reality to indulge the old coot’s nonsense.
However, as futile as the quest
might sound, the pair’s ensuing sojourn across four states does prove rather
fruitful. After all, not only does it afford father and son a chance to spend
some quality time together, but they also get to catch up with lots of
long-lost friends and relatives they visit along the way.
Eventually, Kate and elder son, Ross
(Bob Odenkirk), join them en route, grudgingly making the long jaunt a family
affair. It’s understandably hard for them to be enthusiastic about an outing
inspired by a fraudulent marketing scheme.
Still, sometimes, getting there is
all the fun, as is the case with Nebraska,
a nostalgic road trip unfolding against the barren backdrop of the heartland’s
crumbling infrastructure. Nominated for a half-dozen Academy Awards including
Best Picture, Best Actor (Bruce Dern) and Best Supporting Actress (June
Squibb), the film was directed by Alexander Payne whose decision to shoot the
picture in black-and-white was nothing short of a stroke of genius.
For the lack of color only serves to
further emphasize the absence of hope in a rural region left devastated by the
failure of its factory, farm and small town life. It’s no wonder, then, that
some of the pour souls the Grants encounter might seize on Woody’s pipe dream
as a way of alleviating their own misery.
Grounded by Bruce Dern’s career
performance, Nebraska is a lighthearted
character study which, ironically, offers a stone, cold sober look at the
downsizing of the Midwest’s American Dream.
Excellent
(4 stars)
Rated R
for profanity
Running time: 114
minutes
Distributor:
Paramount Home Entertainment
Blu-ray/DVD Combo
Pack Extras: The Making of Nebraska.
To see a trailer for Nebraska, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvW_DmfKfSk
To order a copy of the Nebraska Blu-ray/DVD
Combo Pack, visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00H9L28OO/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20
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