One thing is for sure – happiness comes relatively cheap in Nebraska...
Shot in black and while and following a journey of a father and son, Nebraska is a drama-comedy film by Alexander Payne to a screenplay by Bon Nelson. It is full of atmosphere, succumbing to a slow-moving plot that is decorated with sudden jolts of action; much like the whereabouts of its lead character, Woody Grand (wonderfully played by Bruce Dern.) Grant is an elderly man in his early stages of dementia, heading from his hometown to a city about a thousand miles away to claim his hoax-winning of one million dollars.
The concept for the film is great, the acting well-played, the cinematography appealing, yet something is lacking; sympathy. It is not that the characters of the father and son are not credible or unlikable but somehow there is a detachment that hurts the story. Nebraska has quite a few good laughs and several touching moments but it's a case where the total is lesser than the sum of its parts, a disappointment given Payne's previous impressive filmography.
By the way, Nebraska should probably ban this film as it's unlikely to attract tourists to the state.