Review: 'Nebraska'

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.迷利倉Dec. 13--Much of the poignant film "Nebraska" will look familiar to people in our state, and if director Alexander Payne were from Tulsa rather than being a native of Omaha, the film could easily have been called "Oklahoma."The small-town feel is prevalent throughout, and the slower, more deliberate style of life depicted will be familiar to people who have lived in the rural parts of our state.Those are the people who will see an image of a man who pulls a chair from his porch closer to the two-lane highway outside, simply to watch cars go by and wave, and rather than snicker at the sight of this man, they will say, "Do you remember that fella who used to do that in our town?"That's the kind of feel that imbues "Nebraska," and it looks natural filmed in gorgeous black-and-white, as if depicting a time gone by in places that look, from a distance, as if they might be neighboring communities of Andy Griffith's Mayberry.Payne is a director who knows how to depict families or friends in conflict, and fortunately for all of us he knows how to mine great comedy and pathos from the inherent drama, whether that be in facing tragedy ("The Descendants") or middle-age fears and marriage ("Sideways").With its senior-citizen themes and road-trip storytelling, "Nebraska" might most closely align with Payne's film "About Schmidt," which found Jack Nicholson facing retirement and a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding while also making his way to Nebraska.Looking something like a lurching man on a death march, with wild wisps of untamed white hair flailing, Bruce Dern, 77, creates a codger of a character that at first doesn't seem all that different from some of the dark characters the actor has taken on, often playing the "heavy" in a half-century career.Except that he's much, much older.But Payne finds sympathy for Woody Grant (Dern) on many fronts, which is the whole point of a film in which a son takes his "old man" on a trip on which he will learn things about his dad -- and about himself -- that will alter their father-son relationship and change his perception of the fading man he takes on one final quest.There is much sadness in watching Dern depict the ravages of aging here, and in watching an alcoholic with Alzheimer's-like symptoms determined to collect the $1 million in sweepstakes money he wrongly thinks he's won from one of those "You may be a winner" brand o迷你倉 deceptive mailings so often aimed at seniors.The fact that his son, David (Will Forte, formerly of "Saturday Night Live"), humors him enough to drive him from their home in Billings, Mont., to Nebraska, is about allowing a man one last adventure before he dies and about a son spending some quality time with a man who's quickly losing his connection to the world -- which seems to have forgotten him long ago.Dern has always been an unusual talent, and he makes the most of Payne's direction and Bob Nelson's script for his condition to be played for gags galore and for the actor to react to most events with a "Huh?" expression.Why? What for? Who? His acting style here is similar to speaking to someone who needs a hearing aid, but with Woody, he simply checks out of conversations and the world around him.Forte eschews broad comedy in his own quest to appear to be a serious actor (which doesn't happen), but he ends up looking stiff, and it leaves his leading role as a kind of curious bystander in a film that otherwise creates many indelible supporting characters in its ensemble.Leading this group as Woody's put-upon wife, June Squibb is reminiscent of Kathy Bates' character in "About Schmidt," one of those sassy gals whose antics steal one scene after another.A road-trip stop at (fictional) Hawthorne, Neb., Woody's hometown, introduces us to family members including criminals and senior citizens who specialize in repetitive conversations that go nowhere and falling asleep in front of the TV, like Oklahoman Rance Howard, father of Oscar winner Ron Howard.The picture can be overly sentimental, yet that perhaps comes from Payne's love of the land and its people that he seems to know well.I suspect that some coastal moviegoers may see this view of the Midwest as some kind of sad parable about people wasting away their lives, but I believe Oklahomans will see a lot that they recognize and warmly embrace.That should include Woody, the kind of fellow whom we probably see quite often but don't take time to understand.Michael Smith 918-581-8479michael.smith@tulsaworld.com'NEBRASKA'Cast: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Stacy KeachTheater: Circle CinemaRunning time: 1 hour, 55 minutesRated: R (language)Quality: 3 stars (on a scale of zero to four stars)Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services自存倉