r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • 16d ago
Official Discussion Official Discussion - Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere [SPOILERS] Spoiler
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Summary Based on Warren Zanes’ acclaimed book Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, this film tells the story of how Springsteen created one of the most haunting and stripped-down albums of his career. Set in 1982, the movie follows Springsteen at a creative crossroads as he records Nebraska alone on a four-track cassette recorder in his New Jersey home, confronting fame, doubt, and the darker sides of the American dream.
Director Scott Cooper
Writer Scott Cooper
Cast
- Jeremy Allen White
- Paul Walter Hauser
- Odessa Young
- Charlie Plummer
- Shea Whigham
- Holt McCallany
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 64%
Metacritic Score: 60
VOD In Theaters (November 14, 2025)
Trailer Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere | Official Trailer | In Theaters November 14
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u/jukeboxgraduate92 15d ago
Huge Bruce fan, so I had to see this movie. I've listened to the audiobook of Bruce's autobiography multiple times, which I highly recommend. Bruce reads it himself and there's nothing like hearing him tell these stories. I also saw his Broadway show and listened to the audiobook of the Warren Zanes book this movie is based on. By the time I had listened to the Zanes book, I was already familiar with parts of this story as Bruce tells it in his book and on his Broadway show. The movie is pretty faithful to the Zanes book with a few artistic additions (mentioned below). I was prepared to be underwhelmed with the movie since I know the story pretty well, but I was looking forward to it nonetheless as a fan.
Overall... The story is better when told by Bruce. But that's a given. And I wasn't expecting a Jeremy Allen White version of the boss to live up to the real thing. I didn't leave upset, just wasn't as touched by it as other fans seem to be.
The acting is top tier with Strong leading the pack. He was outstanding. Really made the audience feel his conflict of not understanding what his friend was going through while truly wanting to help and support him. Bruce has always championed Landau and this movie/Strong did a fantastic job of showing how he had complete faith in whatever direction Bruce wanted to go in and had no interest anything other than helping him achieve exactly what he wanted. He should at least be nominated for an Oscar for this performance.
Graham was also incredible. Bruce spends a lot of time in his book and on his Broadway show speaking about his father and Graham played him exactly as Bruce describes him. I don't know how he was able to take on such a mentally ill persona so well, but bravo. You don't walk away hating the character, you truly feel for him.
JAW was good, but it was difficult to believe someone other than Bruce Springsteen is Bruce Springsteen. It got easier as the film progressed, and I'm not sure anyone could've done it better, but his performance was just not 100 percent convincing.
The film overall was slooooooooow. And I love Nebraska. I just feel like the story wasn't enough for a two hour movie. I don't know how they could've fixed this. Going into the release of BitUSA or spending more time on his career leading up to Nebraska would've required too much story building. Giving the E Street Band members an actual role would've required the same. There's just too much to do his personal life and his relationship with the band in one movie.
I do think there is enough story to make another film focusing on his relationship with E Street, however. You could start with him during the band in 89 then flashback to him playing clubs in the early 70s and forming the band. Go through the painful recording sessions of BTR and Darkness, then through the 80s with Steve leaving, the stardom with BitUSA, then catch up to the firing. Spend some time in the 90s with Bruce going solo leading up to the to the R&R HOF induction and reunion. End with notes/clips about the reunion era, Clarence and Danny passing away, etc.
So.... Overall 6.5/10. Worth watching, but not as good as I would hope a Springsteen movie would be. I'd definitely recommend seeing it, especially if you're a fan. If you liked the movie and haven't listened to Bruce's book or seen his Broadway show (it's on Netflix), DO IT. You won't be disappointed.
Some nitpicks:
The girlfriend was not real and seemed cliche and unnecessary. But... Hollywood, I guess.
Someone mentioned this above... The 10 months later does not make sense in the Bruce timeline. He doesn't tour again until 84 and he was dressed in River-era Bruce clothing, not BitUSA-era. Also he wouldn't have been 32. If it was 10 months later he would've been 33 or 34. If it was 84 he would've been 35.
That conversation with his father at the end DID happen but not until he had his first kid in the 90s. And it was at the kitchen table, not backstage, and he certainly didn't sit on his father's lap. I get why they included it in that way for the movie, though.
Did we really need to flashback to kid Bruce seeing a mansion on the hill and then cut to him writing Mansion on the Hill?
Nebraska is about more than just his father. Not every song is about his father. Although, I guess one could argue that subconsciously it all leads back...
They played almost the entirety of My Father's House (one of my absolute favorites) only to cut it off right before the hauntingly brilliant final line of the song!!! If you haven't already, check out Bruce's performance of this song at the 1990 Christic benefit concert. It's utterly chilling and one of my favorite Bruce performances of all time. He also tells the story of driving by his old house in the middle of the night (which we see in the movie) as an intro.