Saturday, November 23, 2013
Nebraska Review - 4 Stars
Alexander Payne has made some delightful movies — “Sideways” “The Descendants “About Schmidt” and now we can add “Nebraska” to the list. Bruce Dern plays a grumpy old man teetering on the edge who gets one of those magazine promotions with the promise you may have won a million dollars. Dern believes and insists that his son Will Forte take him to Lincoln, Nebraska to pick up his check. As with “Sideways” and “The Descendants” the road trip brings father and son closer and also takes more than a few comic turns. A great character actress named June Squibb steals the show as Dern’s no-nonsense wife. She states the obvious in just the right way to makes it hilarious. The story pulls us into a world of quirky characters who never fail to surprise. Shot in black and white, the stark images make this wry comedy come alive. An old guy wants a little adventure and gets it and we have a great time watching it. How good is that? Does it deliver what it promises? A funny road comedy. Is it entertaining? Delightful Is it worth the price of admission? One of the year’s best.