Directed by Scott Cooper

I need to start this review by admitting that I am not a Bruce Springsteen fan. I’m not anti-Bruce by any means, I just didn’t grow up in a “Springsteen household” and have never found cause for connection with his discography as an adult. Beyond the hits and the basics of his life story that absorb through general American osmosis, I walked into this theater unprepared and open to learning. It was a fairly crowded room with an excited audience, mostly older viewers who clapped at the opening title card, whooped when Born in the U.S.A. came on, and walked out smiling. In other words, I felt like the lone dissenter — and there’s something to be said for that.

THE PLOT

With 2024’s A Complete Unknown (which I genuinely enjoyed) on my mind, I was expecting a hit-heavy storyline and maybe some ruminative backstory centering Bruce’s well-documented tough childhood. Instead, this film gives us three things almost exclusively: Jeremy Allen White, as Bruce, brooding (which I love, obviously, but we all have limits) and writing song lyrics in a notebook after watching movies or listening to records alone in his house; Bruce wooing and subsequently disappointing his love interest, Faye (Odessa Young); and inexplicably black-and-white scenes depicting specific moments from his youth with the excellent but painfully underused Stephen Graham as his alcoholic father and Gaby Hoffmann as his mother (again criminally underused and undervalued by this film).

There are no stakes. Nothing to be won or lost, and no sense of payoff at any point across the plot. Even when Bruce’s manager, Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau, is forced to tell the record label that their star is refusing press, a tour, and singles for his upcoming album — so the music can speak for itself — the label exec essentially says “Really, oh wow. Bummer. Well, it’s Bruce, so there’s nothing we can do.”

While Dylan’s almost dream-like story was similarly plotless, it was backed by song after familiar, beloved song and undeniable performances that provided some depth. Deliver Me From Nowhere seemed to shy away from Springsteen’s songs entirely while pivoting focus to… nothing at all.

The story drags and loses focus often. The most significant plot point is Bruce attempting to recreate the specific sound from the acoustic, four-track recorder demo version of Nebraska. In the second half (or maybe even third act) we’re introduced to what seems to be the theme director Scott Cooper was aiming for: Bruce’s mental health struggle and somewhat reluctant introduction to talk therapy. Again, this is only relevant in the final thirty minutes of the movie, but does get an end title card which shares that Bruce continued to battle depression, but “never again without hope or help.”

THE FACTS VS. THE FILM

I’m no Springsteen expert, but after some research, I’ve learned that Bruce actually lived with his grandparents for much of his childhood, a fact never mentioned in the movie. “Faye” did not exist, but is rather an amalgamation of many women Bruce was dating during this period of his life. I guess one of them had a child that had an impact on him?

Bruce’s father did battle addiction and alcoholism throughout his childhood, so his mother brought in the majority of the family’s income through her job as a legal secretary. Would have been an interesting plot point. He does have a sister, who we see in one scene but is otherwise missing from the many, many childhood flashbacks.

The real Bruce Springsteen was very involved in the making of this film and was reportedly on set a lot. This, of course, begs the question “How much of this is a depiction of reality, and how much is the glossy decades-old memory version that Bruce is willing to have preserved / be remembered by?”

Like A Complete Unknown, this, too, was based on a book — 2023’s Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes, which I’ve heard is significantly more interesting than its cinematic recreation.

THE ACTORS

White and Strong are good actors, so they did a good job. Strong wasn’t given a lot to work with, nor was Young. She did fine. Graham and Hoffman, as mentioned previously, had nothing roles but played them well.

White looked and sounded a lot like a young Bruce Springsteen, especially when he was on stage. But colored contacts or not, I have to admit it still felt like Carmy up there. I think maybe the imitation of an internationally revered rockstar wasn’t the right stepping stone into movie stardom. A role he could craft and create might have been a better route.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I didn’t have any expectations going in and I was still disappointed. I wanted the emotional breakthroughs, on-stage rocking out, and actual singing I feel entitled to when turning on a musical biopic!

But with that said, my theater of obvious Springsteen fans seemed to have a great time. This one might just be for a different audience — one who can overlook poor filmmaking for a representation of their beloved Boss.

this movie is bad.

My rating: 2/5 stars

Read this post on Substack.