When it comes to musical biopics, they usually follow a similar formula: showcasing the artist’s path from humble beginnings to the inevitable roadblocks put in front of their ambition, to the personal demons they face offstage.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is no different, as it chronicles Bruce Springsteen’s journey in making Nebraska. Whether or not you think the movie based on the subject works will depend greatly on whether you’re a fan.
Jeremy Allen White portrays Springsteen (“The Boss”), and the movie opens briefly with his childhood in New Jersey, dealing with his turbulent childhood in black and white, before catching up to the end of his River tour in 1981.
Jeremy Strong costars as Jon Landau, his manager and producer. They have a very close relationship as Springsteen navigates his next career move. Their chemistry is one of the best elements in a film that relies heavily on checking boxes.
Springsteen also takes time out of his career to spend time with Faye Romano (Odessa Young). They get to know each other along with her young daughter, but his rising superstardom poses a threat to their budding romance.
The movie has a few moments of convincing energy, such as when Springsteen is recording Nebraska and performing live. The movie features the essence of what it must’ve been like to attend one of his electric shows and be absorbed by his magnetic stage presence. White knows how to capture that essence.
The performances of White and Strong shine in their effective individual scenes at times. Still, the rest of the movie is at the service of other scenes that are stuck on autopilot and don’t deliver the emotional impact that the movie thinks it’s earned.
One of those scenes features flashbacks to Springsteen’s childhood. His relationship with his father is typical of many biopics that bring their personal lives to the forefront: His father (Stephen Graham) tries to toughen him up, but Bruce is more interested in being a musician.
The later scenes dealing with his father being an alcoholic with mental health issues are explored. More scenes with his parents would’ve been better, as they’re given a superficial treatment rather than the necessary depth.
I found myself drawn into some of the musical sequences, and then the movie settles into other scenes that seemed distant and offered only a modicum of interest. I think fans of Springsteen from that era will have much more nostalgia than admiration.
Blinded by the Light is a better movie that focuses on the impact of Springsteen’s music, and it’s a much more focused and grounded film that’s both fulfilling and satisfying.
Deliver Me From Nowhere is well-acted and skillfully made, but I wanted the film to explore its subject with more depth and less predictability. It hits the right technical notes, but strikes the wrong emotional chord.
