Newspaper Page Text
January 1, 2014
PAGE 11A
^Reporter
Monroe County at the Movies
Roadtrips and relationships: ‘Nebraska’worth it
Michael Biers of Forsyth
is the Reporter’s movie
reviewer for our “.Monroe
County at the Movies” fea
ture. Biers studied film
while earning a Masters of
Arts in Christian Studies
from The Seattle School of
Theology & Psychology in
Seattle. Biers combines his
eye for film with his pas
toral training to give read
ers a deeper look at a film’s
effectiveness and the les
sons it shares. He met his
southern belle, the former
Annie Ladner from Smarr,
while attending the same
school. They have three
children. Michael works at
Harbin Engineering in
Forsyth. E-mail him at
coupleofbiers@gmail.com
BY MICHAEL BIERS
F resh off my fami
ly's holiday travel
to visit my par
ents in Ohio, I
am reminded
how a road trip offers a
unique perspective on the
world in which we live.
(On Monroe County’s Green Tomato sys
tem, we give “Nebraska” 4.5 out of 5
Green Tomatoes)
Release Date:
Director:
Writer:
Running time:
MPAA rating:
Cast:
Now playing:
Nov. 15
Alexander Payne
Bob Nelson
115 minutes
R (for some language)
Bruce Dern, Will Forte,
June Squibb, Bob
Odenkirk, Stacey Keach
UA Tara - Atlanta
Whether it is a survey of
the passing landscape, the
peculiar people we meet
along our path, our
co-sojourners or our
selves, a road trip
provides temporary
space for reflection
before our return
home.
Like his 2004 film
"Sideways", director
Alexander Payne
utilizes this per
spective from the
BIERS
road in his
latest film,
"Nebraska,"
which has
been open
in theaters
for limited
release
since
November.
The story
explores the
family
dynamic
between an
aging father
and his
adult son.
The main
character is a man named
Woody Grant who believes
he has won a
sweepstakes with
a $1 million prize.
He is convinced
he must collect
this prize in per
son 850 miles
away in Lincoln,
Nebraska. Unable
to drive himself,
Woody's middle-
aged son decides
to drive him.
Woody is portrayed by
77-year-old actor Bruce
Dern ("Coming Home",
"The ’Burbs"), who won
Best Actor for this role at
the 2013 Cannes Film
Festival. In the film we
learn Woody is a Korean
War veteran and an alco
holic. Dern embodies
Woody's cantankerous
spirit in his appearance
and demeanor. His
unshaven face and
untamed hair communi
cates to those around him
he does not care and that
he is to be left alone. Yet
this stubborn fagade is
actually an invitation to
see a man who struggles
to conceal his suffering.
Woody's son David,
played by Will Forte, (TV's
"Saturday Night Live"),
sees this delusional road
trip as an opportunity to
get to know more about
his distant father and also
to make sure his father
stays out of harm's way.
June Squibb, who played
Jack Nicholson's wife in
Payne’s 2002 "About
Schmidt", portrays
Woody's vulgar and loyal
wife Kate. Bob Odenkirk
(TV's "Breaking Bad") is
David's brother Ross.
The film "Nebraska" is
meant to be a portrait of
America. Filmed in black
and white and teamed
again with cinematograph
er Phedon Popamichael,
director Payne said he
wanted to create an "icon
ic, archetypal look." The
black and white camera
work conjure the elevated
brightness and contrast of
the rugged landscape and
the characters it embodies.
The main character's
name, Woody Grant, bears
resemblance to Grant
Wood, the artist most
notable for the painting
"American Graffiti." This
leads one to ask, What is
Woody painting about
America?
Woody and David make
a stop along their road trip
to Hawthorne, the town
where David was born. A
good portion of the film's
story takes place in this
small town and calls spe
cial attention to the people
they encounter during
their homecoming, as if to
invite a commentary of
America today.
The brilliance of
"Nebraska" is that this
engaging piece of artwork
is so subtle it requires
another viewing to satisfy
the awe of its mastery. The
film invites us along the
journey to wonder about
the strange yet familiar
world in which we live
with Woody, about the
mysteries of family in
adulthood and the hope we
wrestle with on our way
home. Because this film is
not showing in Middle
Georgia theaters, this film
is worth a road trip to
Atlanta to see. Along the
way you might ask, What
portrait do the people of
Monroe County paint for
its travelers (and vice
versa)?
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