Movies
The Bruce movie is a bit of a downer, but there’s still plenty to get fans of the Boss revved up.
“Deliver Me from Nowhere” — officially titled “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,” thanks no doubt to someone in the marketing department — is, at times, a tough watch. It leans heavily into Springsteen’s struggles with depression and his father’s mental illness, and Jeremy Allen White clearly dug deep to deliver a moving, emotional portrayal of Bruce Springsteen.
But surely there must be some fun stuff in the movie for a Springsteen fan to enjoy?
I’m here to tell you, there is! Well, maybe not “fun,” per se — director Scott Cooper’s film is exquisitely constructed and extremely well acted, but a load of laughs it isn’t. But there will be moments of recognition that any fan will absolutely appreciate seeing on the big screen.
No matter what your level of Springsteen fandom, though, we realize you’ll probably have questions heading into the movie, or coming out of it. Hence, below is everything you ever wanted to know about “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” but were afraid to ask.
Warning: Mild spoilers ahead.
Q: Are there things in the beginning of this movie that will make Springsteen fans want to point and yell out what they are?
A: Yes, and they are as follows: “The tree!” “The Camaro Z28!” “The beat-up guitar with a Telecaster body and an Esquire neck!” “Clarence Clemons!”
Q. Is there a scene in this movie of Bruce Springsteen sitting and reading “The Complete Stories” by Flannery O’Connor?
A: Yes there is.
Q: Is there a scene in this movie of Bruce Springsteen sitting in a library looking up old news stories on a microfiche machine?
A: Yes there is.
Q: How do the flashback scenes look?
A: Frankly, they’re beautiful. Masanobu Takayanagi’s black-and-white cinematography is appropriately stark for the claustrophobic scenes in the Springsteen household, and then stunning when the camera opens up on Bruce and his sister running through the cornfields near the “Mansion on the Hill.”
Q: Does Jeremy Allen White really sound like Bruce Springsteen?
A: He does! It only takes a few minutes to get used to his gravelly drawl, which very quickly develops into part of a real performance full of smart choices, much more than a straight-on impression. As for his singing, you absolutely believe it — except for the scenes in which characters are listening to the “Nebraska” tapes, which are from the actual released album. When that happens you think, “Oh my God, that’s Bruce Springsteen!”
Q: Does Jeremy Strong seem to be channeling Woody Allen in his performance as Springsteen manager Jon Landau?
A: Just a little bit, but yeah.
Q: What are some Springsteen Easter eggs in the movie?
A: Here are a few:
- Landau scoffs when Columbia Records exec Al Teller (David Krumholtz) asks him about whether Springsteen will ever release his outtakes. (This year alone Springsteen has released … checks notes … 101 outtakes.)
- In a flashback/dream sequence that shows present-day Bruce talking with the younger version of his father, Bruce is framed in the kitchen doorway like in the famous shot on the “Nebraska” album’s inner sleeve.
- Bruce is seen listening to the self-titled 1977 debut album by Suicide, whose “Dream Baby Dream” he famously covered on his 2005 “Devils and Dust” tour.
- Springsteen is shown artfully from behind while recording “Born in the USA,” recalling his iconic album cover pose. You know, the one with his butt.
Q: Wait, is that really the version of “Born in the USA” Springsteen would have been recording at that moment?
A: Probably not — the version on the album was recorded on April 27, 1982, and that scene took place in January. Instead they would have likely been recording the grittier version you can hear on the just-finally-released “Electric Nebraska” tracks.
Q: How come I’ve never heard of Faye Romano?
The character of Faye, Springsteen’s love interest, is a fictional character supposedly based on several of his girlfriends at the time. She feels vaguely unnecessary at first, until you realize she’s there to show that Bruce was incapable of making himself emotionally available, and also that he was basically an a-hole to every woman he dated up to and including his first wife. Of course, his current wife, Patti Scialfa, eventually whipped him into emotional shape, and should have been credited as such in the final title card, IMHO.
Q: Are there any thankless roles in “Deliver Me from Nowhere”?
A: Yes, and these are them:
- Marc Maron as engineer Chuck Plotkin. He spends most of his screen time staring at a control board, and for a good portion of the film it’s unclear if he would be been given any lines. (Eventually he has one good one.)
- Frances Gummer as Jon Landau’s wife, Barbara. Meryl Streep’s daughter is reduced to nodding sympathetically while Jeremy Strong frets.
- Any E Street Band member. Take your pick, because none of them say or do anything other than play their various instruments. Sartorially, though, they are dead on.
Q: Is there any character that plays a way bigger role than I’m anticipating?
A: Guitar tech Mike Batlan, who knew?
Q: Why did Jimmy Iovine’s voice over the phone in that one scene sound exactly like Jimmy Iovine?
A: THAT WAS REALLY HIM!
Q: Did Bruce’s father really say those things depicted in that pivotal moment toward the end of the movie?
A: He did, but not backstage in 1982; it was at Bruce’s house in 1990, according to his memoir.
Q: Will I cry when I see little Bruce dancing with his mother in their living room?
A: Yes. Yes you will.
Boston.com General Assignment Editor Peter Chianca is the author of “Glory Days: Springsteen’s Greatest Albums,” and the creator of the Springsteen blog Blogness on the Edge of Town.
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