November 19, 2013

"Nebraska:" Bruce Dern, Alexander Payne, and Bob Nelson

From my movie review in Taki's Magazine:
Will Nebraska, Alexander Payne’s modest masterpiece starring 77-year-old Bruce Dern as a taciturn ex-mechanic who stares like a senile prairie dog, somehow edge out frontrunner 12 Years a Slave for the Best Picture Oscar? 
If it does, we’ll never hear the end of it. How often since Obama’s reelection have we been reminded that it’s long past time for stale pale males to exit the stage for the more vibrant? 
Yet, annoyingly, old white guys keep doing things that can’t be overlooked.

Read the whole thing there.

Also, eight seconds of Bruce Dern screaming at Jane Fonda.

21 comments:

Udolpho.com said...

Alexander Payne is embarrassingly representative of midwestern artsiness. Depressingly parochial and feeble.

Anonymous said...

I've tried watching all-black movies; except for certain comedies, I just lose interest. There's something lacking; I just don't buy their "normal" act.

I prefer to see them acka fool. Sorry.

Good! said...

Thanks, Steve.

Even though you neglected to mention Silent Running.

Brian Uecker said...

Alexander Payne is embarrassingly representative of midwestern artsiness. Depressingly parochial and feeble.

Definitely agree with this as a gay male from the Midwest.

Auntie Analogue said...


I could never stand to see Bruce Dern on screen because I never saw the character he was supposed to be portraying and instead I saw only Bruce Dern acting, or trying to act.

Anonymous said...

I saw one movie in 2013.

GRAVITY. One of the most mind-blowing movie experiences of my life. Can't believe any film could be better.

One of the few times when I was really overwhelmed by the experience.

Anonymous said...

This sounds like Local Hero and Melvin & Howard. And maybe Raisin in the Sun. And maybe the Russian film Elena.

It's good that Payne didn't write.
His stuff, though well-crafted, is really smarmy and smug.

The only one I could stomach was Descendants(somewhat) because people there seem to be laidback.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa6cdqCVTiY

Sums up his career.

Dern may be more bearable now. As with Elliott Gould, there was something repellent about him.
Age may have finally weathered and smoothed out the rough edges.

Discard said...

Dern was great in "Posse". I know squat about acting, but I was intelligently entertained for a couple hours. That's his job, isn't it?

alexis said...

More weird Bruce Dern stuff. Starts at 16:30.

Anonymous said...

What ever happened to his daughter Laura? Her career was on an upward trajectory in the 90's, but seems to have stalled in the 2000's. Decent actress, although kind of homely-looking.

Anonymous said...

Uhh, the dude directed 'Sideways'.

The great tragicomical masterpiece of our era.

Dude doesn't have to direct another movie for the rest of his life and he still would pwn anybody else y'all could bring to the table.

Sheesh.

Marlowe said...

The voiceless paraplegics playing the robots out acted Bruce Dern in Silent Running.

I quite liked The King of Marvin Gardens though.

Dern seemed to make a habit of dying at the end of the story.

DYork said...

How often since Obama’s reelection have we been reminded that it’s long past time for stale pale males to exit the stage for the more vibrant?

Well fortunately Bruce Dern's daughter actress Laura Dern has provided him several black grandchildren so maybe like Bill DiBlasio he can trot them out to show some relative vibrosity.

chucho said...

Sounds like they should have titled this one "The Trip 2".

FredR said...

Bruce Dern put in a great performance as Bill Paxton's scheming father in the HBO series "Big Love". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ocKABPPzz4

d..... said...

Looks interesting; I'll check it out.

How does the credit list square with the white-o-sphere's eternal plaint that Hollywood won't allow goyim to sing their song?

Beyond that, I'm interested in your take on Hunger Games. I saw the 1st movie & couldn't believe I was watching something so unbelievably implausible and stupid. There were many impossibilities, the main one being that a skinny teenaged girl (who, mysteriously, has no - excuse me - cyclical debilities) physically defeats teenaged boys.

That was only the beginning. There were many more, which I'd be happy to point out if you ever write about it.

Pat Boyle said...

I read long ago an account of the producers discussion of Bruce Dern for a possible role in "The Great Gatsby".

"Yes, I know he can act, but can he play a human being?".

Albertosaurus

C. Van Carter said...

There's a connection between this post and the city of hate one.

Whiskey said...

Posse. Family Plot. Silent Running. Bruce Dern rocks! He lomg ago deserved an oscar. Heck he stole Last Man Standing.

Dern is a national treasure.

Anonymous said...

Bruce Dern chose his role on "Big Love"

well.

Can't say the same for his daughters

marriage choices. Although, Truth is

probably giddy, so there is that...