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Okay, that is fantastic

"Some language".

I sold Alexander Payne a DVD of old cartoons which he said he would show to his crew during production, so this movie should be pretty great.

That trailer isn't particularly funny, but that's what I find so promising about it -- it looks as if the film's humor can't really be pared down into one-liners or "zing" moments. Looks like Payne spent a lot of time with Paper Moon...

Looks great, and I HOPE it's not too on the nose funny. It looks more like an examination of adult family dynamics and small town social mores, in B&W no less. A little humor and wit to cut the medicine is always welcome, but it looks great strictly for from the angle of yet another (and there can never be too many) examination of the myth of the "American Dream".

edit: I also wonder if, in so naming it, he's trying to evoke the bleakness and desperation of the Springsteen album.

The version I saw at Cannes (which I understand has been edited down slightly for the theatrical release) was pretty good, but it's another return to the "road trip leading to cathartic self-discovery" well that Payne's gone back to repeatedly and offered few surprises. Dern's fantastic though, as is Stacy Keach in a supporting role.

Yeah this travels well-worn Payne territory. He basically makes the same film every time. Which is why I'm so confused as to why every single one of them move the hell out of me. This one especially. It's genuinely soulful and funny, and avoids the easy sentiment that occasionally blighted The Descendants. The last sequence is almost overwhelmingly poignant, especially a brief look between Bruce Dern and a minor character that's filled with the longing and regret of an entire life never lived. It's probably my favorite Payne other than Election, which is still his best film.

rs98762001 wrote:It's probably my favorite Payne other than Election

Me too.

Payne really captures the feel of the American Midwest and its people. I found Stacy Keach's heavy a little over the top, but all of the other characters felt genuine, the places lived in. I know these people. The dynamic between the four members of the immediate family felt very real, and anyone who has coped with aging parents will identify with the occasional moments of exasperation that punctuate the undeniable love felt by Will Forte and Bob Odenkirk's characters. I appreciated the fact that there's no eldersploitation going on here. June Squibb's character in particular gets to embody the idea of a vibrant human being who has been seen as desirable and vital and just happens to have gotten older.

I was initially flummoxed by Forte's casting, but he's just right. His role isn't as showy as Dern's, but he handles it effortlessly. Roles like his never get noticed by award-dispensers, but I hope it gets him considered for further dramatic work.

Nebraska has only grown in my estimation since seeing it, and I'm looking forward to a revisit. I too felt a bit surprised at how much it moved me, there's no emotional release or real introspection or change, just quiet acceptance. The film is still and subtle. It's Payne's honest illumination of the profundity in the painfully ordinary that moved me most I think, that, and the truth that people will find reason to carry on, even if that reason is unknowable.

The opening letter on the editorial page of yesterday's Omaha World Herald:

Tom Clark wrote:While critics are heaping praise on Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska,” I thought the film was silly, cliché-ridden and plodding.

Mr. Payne portrays rural Nebraskans as mindless, naive simpletons living in hopeless desperation. He depicts our state as bleak, empty and colorless.

If Payne weren’t so intent on selling out his home state, he’d realize that some of the most sophisticated, educated people in the world come from Nebraska. He would appreciate the beauty of our state, with its ever-changing hues and rolling landscapes.

Instead, he seemed intent on placating his Hollywood bosses and taking the easy way out with predictable stereotypes.

I don't know which is more ridiculous, the "How dare you film something beautiful in black and white!" criticism, or the idea that Payne's "bosses" were forcing him to make a drama that belittles his home state.

Yes, if the reviewer was trying to make the argument that those from Nebraska are far from simple, his superficial analysis, lacking any true insight into what was attempted by the film maker, has made it all too obvious that, at least this particular Nebraskan, is naïve and simple.

My fav Alexander Payne film so far. I may be biased because I too had a father who never said much but despite that a rich, organic film of family, secrets and identity. I hope Dern, Forte, Squibb, Payne and Papamichael get noms. And I hope somehow Bob Nelson continues the streak of Payne films winning Best Screenplay Oscars. An "American" film as any this year, screw you OWH.

edit: I also wonder if, in so naming it, he's trying to evoke the bleakness and desperation of the Springsteen album.

i thought the whole movie could've been inspired by the song "used cars" on the nebraska LP...especially the part about dern's character wanting a brand new truck....lyrics below...

"Now mister the day the lottery I win I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again...

Now the neighbors come from near and far
As we pull up in our brand new used car
I wish he'd just hit the gas and let out a cry and tell 'em all they can kiss our asses goodbye..."

this marks the second movie inspired by this record after sean penn's the indian runner...is there another "pop" record that can claim even one?

Throw in the clear nods to Louis Malle's Atlantic City in the song of that name and Malick's Badlands in the title track, and it certainly is in the running for Most Autueristically Cinematic Folk Album of the 1980s.

And Bruce repeats the trick on 1995's The Ghost of Tom Joad, with references ranging from John Ford to Forrest Gump (which is done sarcastically):

"Now life's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get / Stupid is as stupid does' and the rest of that shit."

...and let's not forget bruce's video for "i'm on fire" which is a great short film itself....

I just finished watching Nebraska for the second time. I'm going to dare and say this film will grow in stature as time goes by. It will make appearances best of decade lists.

I came away after my first viewing as so-so. But as days and weeks went by, I found myself thinking more and more about this film and how terrific it actually was. My feeling of so-so was because of David's indulgence of his father's fantasy, which I initially found as unacceptable, which is just a reflection of how I would react. Once I got away from that, and was able to think about the story and characters itself I found it to be so human and real.

And the second viewing reaffirmed my feelings and emotions of how great this really is. The second time I really appreciated the little expressions and gestures made by the characters.

Spoiler

Like David's expression when Peg Nagy told him she wouldn't let Woody round the bases and that is why Kate won. David's look was like one of wow, life would be different if either Kate was loose or Peg was.

And

Spoiler

And Kate's tender moment in the hospital with Woody.

Payne is brilliant at giving his characters a sense of living in the moment, even as the past is rearing it's ugly head.

Saw this tonight -- and loved it, without any reservations at all. Acting, cinematography, direction -- all are A-level. And this was much funnier than reviews had led me to expect (the whole sold-out audience seemed to enjoy this).

Isn't that the wife's "tender moment"?

Enjoy the movie, but thought it needed a lot of colour? Good news for you.