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Nebraska (2013), R, 4 stars

Bruce Dern as Woody Grant.
Set yourself in a room with a lottery ticket or scratched lottery ticket. How would you react to winning a million dollars or more in a lottery draw or a scratch off? How would you feel if the ticket was part of a lottery scam? Well, in today's society, anybody who would believe that he or she won a million dollars or more would have the trouble and time to travel to the sweepstakes company to collect. I mean, do you think that odds are in your favor when picking the correct numbers to win the lottery ticket? It's a really slim chance. But, however, the great news does not stop an old man from trying to get to his destination in this wacky and great movie.

The movie starts hilariously when Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) is walking in the snow alongside a busy road where many cars pass and a sheriff sees him and pulls over asking where he is going and where he is coming from. His son, David (Will Forte), arrives at the police station after he was contacted by the police and he sees Woody in the waiting area and asks him why he was going to Nebraska. Woody replies that he was going to collect his winnings of a million dollars there since his wife refuses to drive him over there. David tells him that it was a scam and he suggests to mail in his response. Woody refuses again.

They both go back to his house where Woody's wife, Kate (June Squibb), who looks like a sweet woman but is a gritty woman who tells David that Woody should have thought of being a millionaire and worked hard for it in the past. David asks his father what he wants to do with a million dollars. Woody wants to buy a new truck, but, here's a dilemma: He does not have his license at that time. But, hey, there all kinds of ways that Woody is going to use that million dollars either to pay for something or repay someone.

David (Will Forte) talking to his mom, Kate (June Squibb) with Woody (Dern) in the background.
This is actually a funny movie in a flawless and dysfunctional family comedy that involves about everyone in the family and everyone in town to acknowledge Woody of being a winner and to advise him on what to do with the money. Even, the two cousins want to know and see what a million dollars look like. The movie balances comedy and a little bit of tragedy quite perfectly and delicately. One comical scene is when the family have an argument and Kate stops the argument in a humorous way. I mean, there is one scene where the whole family including Ross (Bob Odenkirk), the other son, is being shown the house where Woody grew up in. It's touching. And, the tragic scene is where...well, I can't spoil that, but it's earnest.

Bruce Dern gives an astounding performance as Woody, who is just an unpleasant and stubborn man wanting to believe that he won a million dollars. Will Forte is quite comfortable as his son as he just plays it so straight. I mean, I forgot that he was from SNL. It's definitely one of the best performances from an SNL player. June Squibb is wonderful as this brass, tough woman who clearly is not afraid to speak out her mind. She looks sentimental as an old lady but after you get to know her, you do not want to mess with her.

Alexander Payne is one of those directors who knows how to balance drama and comedy beautifully. He makes his movies more realistic and powerful as we witness all these flawed characters going through delicate situations and saying crisp and perfect dialogue that is suitable for real-life conversations around the family and the town. I think the black-and-white is definitely suitable for this picture as it is a character study of Woody and a few other characters and the story is quite unique and moving. Nebraska is definitely one of Payne's most personal movies and one of the best movies of the year.

****

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