The film tells the story of Woody Grant (Bruce Dern, whose performance is pitch perfect) and his son David (Will Forte, who many know from SNL but I know from the Mumford and Son video for 'Hopeless Wanderer'). Woody receives an advertisement in the mail claiming he has won $1 million (and the opportunity to buy magazines at a real deal) and needs to go claim his prize money in Lincoln, Nebraska. Woody refuses to believe the money is a junk-mail scam, nor does he trust his new found fortune to the vagarities of the postal service, so he sets out to go in person to collect. David initially tries to tell his father that it is a scam--he starts off gently, but gets bluunt, and then, in the end he agrees to drive Woody to Nebraska, resulting in a Midwest adventure, as well as a family reunion when the pair stops in Woody’s hometown, where everything that can go wrong does, in a stilted Mid-Western sort of a way.
The simplicity of the film is what makes it so engaging. The black and white aesthetic and minutes without dialogue showcase American regionalism in the heart of the stark Midwest. The humor of the film is surprising and razor sharp. There’s a tension between slightly demented Woody and pragmatic David that actually puts you on the edge of your seat.
The film is a portrait of modern rural America and a take on family relationships, especially when money becomes relevant. In this way, it’s also starkly depressing. Woody’s wife, played by 84-year-old June Squibb, is a ruthless and surprisingly sexual gossip who borderline verbally abuses Woody in a deceptively sharp manner. His nephews have recently served their stints in prison and the most exciting thing anyone has to talk about are trucks. The stark stasis of the characters’ lives makes you leave the theater with a renewed gratitude that you don’t live in such a place.
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