Movie Night: Nebraska.

Review #635: Nebraska.

Cast
Bruce Dern (Woody Grant), Will Forte (David Grant), June Squibb (Kate Grant), Bob Odenkirk (Ross Grant), Stacy Keach (Ed Pegram), Mary Louise Wilson (Aunt Martha), Missy Doty (Noel), and Angela McEwan (Pegy Nagy) Directed by Alexander Payne.

Review
This is a movie that manages to be both heartfelt and sometimes hilarious. This movie belongs to Bruce Dern, he manages to make every moment count, and he's even fun to watch when he's not talking, such as the denture scene, though my favorite scene is the Mount Rushmore scene because watching Dern's character describe it as a bunch of rocks that look unfinished is simply beautiful. The black and while photography makes the movie look crisp and gives the movie a tone of its own, which matches the dreariness of the characters and the landscape to an extent, but the movie is still interesting to look at. The characters are interesting to watch, living in a small state without much to do, but they all have their unique flair to it. Forte is actually a pretty good lead, and he works extremely well with Dern, that's what makes the movie work, the relationship of the two characters. The movie isn't just a trip to Nebraska, it's a chance to see layers of Dern's character get revealed, the good and bad, making for an emotional, if not somewhat funny film. The graveyard scene actually does provoke some laughs, I guess it because of June Squibb, who is essentially the only sane person in the movie, next to Forte. The movie is somewhat soothing in a way, but it is at heart charming, and a good way to spend your time, especially to see Bruce Dern.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.