‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ sheds light on men’s mental health
Jeremy Allen White leans into the darkness of Springsteen's story. At some moments, it was impossible to decipher if the music was being sung by White or Springsteen himself, our columnist says. Emma Soto | Contributing Illustrator
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With 21 studio albums, over 20 tours and 52 years as a musician and household name, everyone knows Bruce Springsteen. Scott Cooper’s “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” explores a new, darker side of the music icon.
The biopic, released on Oct. 24, takes viewers through Springsteen’s childhood and explores how trauma led him to create the popular albums “Nebraska” and “Born In The U.S.A.” Following the singer’s struggles with severe depression and anxiety, the film shines an important spotlight on men’s mental health with strong lead actors and insight into the life of a legendary rock star.
Despite receiving mediocre critic reviews and lower box office sales, the depiction of Springsteen is unlike any other biopic released this decade. Cooper’s seventh directed movie was beautifully executed and focused on the star’s humanity.
The biopic follows Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) as he comes off his 1980 “The River” tour and moves back to his New Jersey hometown to write his next album.
While watching Terrence Malick’s “Badlands,” Springsteen discovered the murders serial killer Charles Starkweather committed in Nebraska and Wyoming between 1957 and 1958. Eerily fascinated by the story, Springsteen was inspired to write many songs, including “Nebraska.”
While at home, Springsteen embarks on a relationship with Faye Romano (Odessa Young), a sister of a friend from high school. The two get close, going on dates to the amusement park and concerts, and Springsteen even develops a relationship with Faye’s young daughter.
Eventually, Springsteen drifts apart, revealing his fear of attachment due to his childhood trauma. This fictional relationship is used as a stand-in for Springsteen’s relationships in real life.
This is one of the few instances of fictionalized characters and scenes from Springsteen’s actual life. Most of the film is based on Springsteen’s “Renegades: Born in the USA,” an autobiography co-written by the singer and former President Barack Obama.
During the creation of “Nebraska,” Springsteen and his team are searching for the “perfect sound.” In one scene, Springsteen tells his music producers, “I want it to feel like I’m the only one in the room.” The sound he finds — almost acoustic with a prominent echo — has become one of Springsteen’s most recognizable traits.
But, the journey for the perfect sound isn’t just to make a good album; it’s meant to help Springsteen face his music and depression head-on. The majority of the songs on “Nebraska” feature real-life stories; he faces the trauma of his past to create something new.
Throughout the movie, black and white flashbacks of a young Springsteen (Matthew Anthony Pellicano Jr.) tell the story of his strained relationship with his parents and abusive father. This back-and-forth gives viewers a sense of where Springsteen’s severe depression stems from, and also his fear of loving and opening up.
It’s an effective way to understand Springsteen’s whole story. Through creating “Nebraska,” Bruce begins to heal his relationship with his parents.
The portrayal of Springsteen’s depression and anxiety in the film is spectacular. The biopic has a dark undertone, which intensifies throughout as Springsteen’s suicidal thoughts start to creep in. As I watched in the theater, I sympathized with him. Springsteen’s pain was acute and gut-wrenching.
White’s portrayal of Springsteen is beautiful; he leans into the darkness of the star’s depression and had the entire theater empathizing with him by the film’s end. During some songs, I couldn’t tell if Springsteen or White was singing.
In the last 10 minutes of the movie, Springsteen’s manager, Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong), sets Springsteen up to see a therapist. The therapist asks Springsteen what brought him to therapy, and after a tense moment of silence, he breaks down into tears, and the scene cuts to black. White’s performance had everyone around me crying as well; you couldn’t help but feel so incredibly sorry for what Springsteen had to endure.
At one point, Springsteen and a childhood friend are at a fair in Texas when he has a panic attack. The scene switches from black and white to color, cutting to young Springsteen and his father, then Faye and then back to older Springsteen. The quick jump from character to character distorts the audience; you feel like you’re experiencing the panic attack with him.
Alongside White’s incredible performance, Springsteen’s father, Douglas (Stephen Graham), captures the complex dynamic between being an alcoholic, abusive person and a father. In one scene, he teaches a young Springsteen to fight, and ultimately hits him. I hated the character, but still couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
In another scene — the experience that inspired “Mansion on the Hill” — he reflects on what life would be like if he owned a white mansion on a hill, and how everything would be easier.
The music’s impact could’ve been intensified if the film revealed the story behind the songs Springsteen wrote. In some storylines, we’re left to assume they correlate to specific songs, but I still had questions. For instance, it seemed like “I’m On Fire” was about Faye. In contrast, “Nebraska” now has a completely different effect on me since discovering the song is based on Starkweather.
Still, the movie sheds a new light on Springsteen and men’s mental health. It effectively shares the important message: You’re never alone.
