Nebraska (2013)
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An elderly man and his son embark on a long road trip to claim a million-dollar sweepstakes prize.
The story
In Billings, Montana, an elderly man named Woody Grant is arrested for walking on the Interstate. His son, David, discovers Woody believes he has won a million-dollar sweepstakes prize and intends to walk to Lincoln, Nebraska, to collect it. Despite family concerns that it is a mail scam, David decides to drive Woody there to spend time together and give his mother a break. The journey takes them through South Dakota and into Nebraska, where they encounter Woody's past, his former business partner, and various family members who demand money from him.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Woody Grant, an elderly man showing signs of dementia, insists on traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska, to claim a million-dollar sweepstakes prize. His son David agrees to drive him, hoping to bond with his father. During the trip, Woody suffers a head injury in South Dakota. They stop in Woody's hometown of Hawthorne, where they encounter Woody's former business partner, Ed Pegram, who stole Woody's air compressor years ago. Ed, along with other relatives, attempts to pressure Woody for money. The family visits Woody's abandoned farmhouse, where Woody recalls his childhood. After a series of confrontations involving Ed's blackmail and the theft of Woody's sweepstakes letter by Ray's sons, David punches Ed. Woody, dizzy from his injury, initially refuses to continue, but eventually insists on reaching Lincoln to leave something for his sons. Upon arriving, Woody learns he did not win the prize. On the return trip, David buys a truck and a new air compressor. In a final gesture, David lets Woody drive the truck through Hawthorne, where Woody waves goodbye to everyone before they return home.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alexander Payne
- Writers
- Bob Nelson · writer; Alexander Payne · rewrote only a few things
- Cast and characters
- Bruce Dern · Woodrow T. "Woody" Grant; Will Forte · David Grant; June Squibb · Kate Grant; Bob Odenkirk · Ross Grant; Stacy Keach · Ed Pegram; Mary Louise Wilson · Aunt Martha; Angela McEwan · Peg Nagy; Rance Howard · Uncle Ray
- Genres
- comedy-drama; road film
- Themes
- dysfunctional families; father-son relationships; old age
- Tone and mood
- bittersweet; poetic; starkly beautiful
- Setting
- Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska in the modern era.
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; black-and-white; comedy-drama
- Reception
- The film was acclaimed by critics and became a commercial success, bringing in $27.7 million from the box office on a $13.5 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 90% · review count: 252; Metacritic · score: 86 · scale: 100 · review count: 46
- Awards and nominations
- Palme d'Or (Grand Prize) · Nomination · 2013 · Nominated; Best Actor · Cannes Film Festival · 2013 · Won; Oscar · Best Picture · 2013 · Nominated; Oscar · Best Director · 2013 · Nominated; Oscar · Best Actor · 2013 · Nominated; Oscar · Best Supporting Actress · 2013 · Nominated; Oscar · Best Original Screenplay · 2013 · Nominated; Oscar · Best Cinematography · 2013 · Nominated; Best Ensemble · Boston Society of Film Critics · 2013 · Won; Best Supporting Actress · Boston Society of Film Critics · 2013 · Won; Golden Globe · Nomination · 2013 · Nominated; Independent Spirit Award · Nomination · 2013 · Nominated; Satellite Award · Nomination · 2013 · Nominated; Best Cast · Satellite Award · 2013 · Won; Best Supporting Actress · Satellite Award · 2013 · Won; Screen Actors Guild Award · Nomination · 2013 · Nominated; Best Actor · National Board of Review · 2013 · Won; Best Supporting Actor · National Board of Review · 2013 · Won
- Production trivia
- It was the final film to be released by Paramount Vantage.; The film was converted from color to black and white in post-production.; The score includes performances by other members of Tin Hat, marking the first time the three original members had reunited since 2005.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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