Movie Review: Nebraska

Add to that the senior citizen lead role, played splendidly by Bruce Dern, and a recipe for a gentle exploration of life unfolds. The film is designed for the viewer to consider its script and locations and its characters’ interactions as all these parts amalgamate to form a whole.

Dern’s character, a grumpy alcoholic, still has the warmth that old people tend to have even when their behaviour is less than admirable.

Nebraska explores the disinterestedness in daily life some old people feel and how they react to the limited time they have left on earth. Trying to reflect on the past while stubbornly aiming to achieve new goals creates an interesting conflict.

Dern was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Woody Grant.