A Reel Review - SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE

In late 1981, born-to-be-mega-rockstar Bruce Springsteen secluded himself in Colts Neck, New Jersey…to work on his sixth studio album. The end result was the quiet acoustic record, Nebraska. The story of the making of this album has been well-documented over the years, which makes it a challenge to put to film. The idea behind SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE is to make the journey the story over the destination. 

 

After wrapping up his tour in support of his album The River, Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White), goes into seclusion and begins the writing process for his next record. With his audio engineer Mike (Paul Walter Hauser), and support from his manager Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong), Springsteen revisits his troubled past with his father (Stephen Graham), to battle his own depression and find inspiration for what would become Nebraska. 

 

Directed by Scott Cooper and based on the book of the same name by Warren Zanes and Springsteen’s biography Born to Run, DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE is an intimate, and often stunning look at one man’s depression intertwined with his musical journey. The Springsteen we have been so used to seeing over the years, with his swagger and top-of-the-world vibe, doesn’t exist yet in 1981, and what we follow here is an artist struggling with uncertainty and anguish. 

 

Director Scott Cooper guides us through Springsteen’s musical journey with a steady hand, taking us through his romance with Faye (Odessa Young), and his deep dive into film and literature to find inspiration for the album. Cooper films his actors as if he is framing an album cover in every scene, and the results are gorgeous. The musical scenes, from Springsteen’s thunderous stage performances to his quieter strumming, are excellent. 

 

Jeremy Allen White recaptures Springsteen in breathtaking fashion, and his vocals on the tracks are good enough to fool anyone. The rest of the cast, including Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, David Krumholtz, Stephen Graham, Marc Maron, and Gaby Hoffman are all excellent. 

 

When Springsteen finished recording his acoustic demos for Nebraska, he tried to produce them traditionally with his full band, but later elected to release the stripped-down versions. It was a bold move at the time, and it’s a bold move for Springsteen to be on board with DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE, as it strips away the larger-than-life myth of Bruce Springsteen. Much like the album it documents, it is non-traditional and quiet, and worth the journey. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it