Nebraska Review

Grade: B+
One-Liner: Woody's golden years will teach you a thing or two about living.

As my father would say, Woody Grant looks how I feel sometimes. The alcoholic Korean War veteran (masterfully underplayed by Bruce Dern) was a bit rough around the edges, but at his core, he just wanted something to believe in after a lifetime of sub-par accomplishments.

In Nebraska, the ailing senior citizen starts off trudging up a small Montana road, determined to make it all the way to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect his "prize winnings" -- the supposed fruits of a run-of-the-mill scam involving magazine subscriptions and flashy fonts declaring he's won $1 million.

Though he has little reason to, his youngest son (Will Forte) takes pity on the old man and agrees to transport him to Lincoln, where he's sure there will be no prize waiting. Along the way, they run into a series of "adventures" -- nothing like ravenous mountain lions, but instead dropping one's dentures on the train tracks -- but what's more important is watching the story peel back Woody's many complex layers just when you think you've made up your mind about the selfish, abrasive father.

As you're busy trying to navigate Woody's inner workings, you meet the beautifully simple characters in his life. The men wear different versions of the same plaid shirt and the women gossip; their town is small, but their mouths are big. In a standout role, Woody's crass, skirt-lifting wife Kate (June Squibb) deserves her own reality show on TLC and would surely give Honey Boo Boo a real run for her money.

The film's black and white picture serves its purpose by depicting small town America in all of its off-kilter glory, and the dialogue and acting provide more than enough color to sustain the film.

There are moments when the 115 minutes dragged a bit, but that was probably the point. Woody's life dragged on as he did everything in his power to make it to his prize winnings and ultimately give his life some meaning. The story should hit close to home for anyone who's dealt with an aging family member. Nebraska has the heart that makes your hysterical laughter turn into inevitable tears with just a few short lines.

It's a worthy contender this Oscar season, and an excellent depiction of life's struggles outside of the glitz and glamor of the summer blockbusters and superhero sequels.