The Film
"A beer ain't drinkin'."
The bond between a father and son can be a pretty strong one. Many of us would do anything for our parents, even the ones with a twinge of crazy in them. Alexander Payne's Nebraska offers a peek at how far one son is willing to go for his dad -- literally. There's an actual road trip!
Bruce Dern has been raking in the accolades (including an Oscar nomination) for his portrayal of Woody Grant, an aging boozer who believes he's won a million dollars in a Publisher's Clearinghouse-type sweepstakes. After several failed attempts to walk from Montana to Nebraska to claim his prize, Woody's son David (Will Forte) offers to drive him to his destination.
During the journey, the two stop in Woody's hometown, where the old man almost immediately leaks the news of his good fortune. Soon after, Woody becomes the talk of the town and the target of many. Woody's extended family wants a piece of the pie and so does an old business partner (Stacy Keach). David also runs into one of Woody's old girlfriends (Angela McEwan) and learns a little about why his father is the way his is. David's mom (June Squibb) and brother (Bob Odenkirk) also meet up with them and that's a good thing. Squibb in particular is a real hoot.
If you're expecting this to be a wacky buddy comedy, well... some of it is. Like life, Nebraska has a lot of up and downs. At 114 minutes, it also doesn't rush things. In this case, that's very much appreciated. Payne continues his trend of interesting characters (following those in The Descendents, Sideways, and About Schmidt) and packs his latest with stellar performances all around.
Want to take another trip with this movie? Check out David Kempler's theatrical review of Nebraska.
The Picture
Who needs color when an image looks this good? Director Alexander Payne works magic with this black-and-white presentation. Despite the lack of color, Nebraska has a lot of pop to it, thanks to a razor-sharp 2.40:1 image. The film has a wonderful contrast, but the detail is really the standout here. Bruce Dern's aging face, Will Forte's stubble, the stitches, and the scenery; it's really hard to pick out what looks best here. If you're the type to pooh-pooh a black-and-white movie, this could be the one to turn you.
The Sound
It's surprising to see a brand new movie lacking the full surround sound treatment. However, Nebraska does the best it can with this DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 mix. Traffic sounds, bar chatter, and Mark Orton's score all have a presence, but it's obviously a front-heavy affair. The dialogue is really the main focus here and it's always clear throughout.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
Nebraska isn't the type of Blu-ray that someone would go into blindly with a lot of excitement. It's in black and white, it has 3.0 sound, and it has Will Forte (MacGruber!) in a serious role. However, everything about it works. Even without that wide color palette, the high-def image is quite stunning. The lack of extras is a bit of a bummer, but this is a wonderful film filled with award-worthy performances, most notably from Bruce Dern and June Squibb.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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