The Jeremys have triumphed in “Deliver Me from Nowhere,” even if the movie isn’t burning up the charts. (So much for “I’m on Fire” and the frequent script references to burning the house down.) This October was the worst October for theaters in 30 years. When “Deliver Me from Nowhere” begins streaming, it should do well. Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”) wrote and directed, based on the book by Warren Zanes.
Not really fair to compare the 2024 Bob Dylan bio-pic “A Complete Unknown” (or 2019’s”Rocketman” or 2018’s”Bohemian Rhapsody”) to this one. This one has a much narrower focus. Also not fair to say Bruce was just too boring for a bio-pic.
FOCUS
This one focuses on a specific time period, Springsteen’s work on the 1982 album “Nebraska,” which he recorded in his bedroom on a Pioneer recording machine 43 years ago. It was a particularly dicey time in The Boss’ life. He was 33 years old and establishing himself as a worldwide star, after earning stardom at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, his home base. He would break out with “Born in the USA” shortly after the “Nebraska” album.
White, who plays the younger Boss with convincing head-tossing sweaty fervor, is 34. The casting throughout the film is great. Kudos to casting director Francine Maisler.
CAST
Jeremy Allen White.
In addition to Jeremy Allen White as The Boss and Jeremy Strong as manager Jon Landau, there are strong supporting performances from Paul Walter Hauser (“Richard Jewell”) as Mike Batlan, and Stephen Graham (“Adolescence”) as Douglas Springsteen, Bruce’s emotionally distant father. Odessa Young portrays romantic interest Faye Romano.
It’s interesting to see Gaby Hoffmann playing Bruce’s mother Adele, since she was the 7-year-old Karin Kinsella in “Field of Dreams.” Marc Maron is Chuck Plotkin, recording engineer. Jimmy Iovine plays Jimmy Iovine (no stretch there). Meryl Streep’s daughter Grace Gummer has a small role as Barbara Landau. There is also a good performance from Matthew Anthony Pellicano, as young Bruce, photographed in black-and-white inserts that take us back to the days when 8-year-old Bruce was coping with a father who was probably paranoid schizophrenic, bi-polar and alcoholic.
THE JEREMYs
The Jeremys are Jeremy Allen White, portraying Bruce Springsteen, and Jeremy Strong (“Succession”) as Jon Landau, his long-suffering manager and sometimes quasi-therapist. There is also Jeremiah Fraites, the composer for the film. I could easily see a Best Supporting nod for Strong’s calm, always-under-control portrait of a manager who realizes “I’m out of my depth on this one” and suggests therapy for the troubled rock icon.
GENESIS
The film is based on the book by Warren Zanes and has, so far, recouped about half of its $55 million budget in worldwide sales. “Deliver Me from Nowhere” started playing (in theaters only) on October 24th. The buzz regarding an Oscar nomination for Jeremy Allen White, star of “The Bear” and former cast member on “Shameless” began, based on his numerous awards including 3 consecutive Golden Globe Awards, 3 SAG awards, 2 Critics’ Choice awards and 2 Primetime Emmys. His 134 episodes as Lip Gallagher on television’s “Shameless” catapulted him to the brink of stardom. This lead performance has enough oomph to potentially earn him an Oscar nomination. The 2-hour film can drag unless you’re a die-hard Springsteen fan.
3 KEY SCENES
There are 3 memorable scenes that White nails in “Deliver Me from Nowhere.” They are the kind of showcase moments that you can imagine being thrown up on the big screen at the Oscars. The three make-it-or-break-it scenes are White’s re-enactment of the recording of “Born to Run” in the studio, his breakdown scene in his therapist’s office, and the finale with his father (when his dad suggests that the 32-year-old now-famous singer sit on his lap).
Other than those scenes, we have the star posing, captured for the camera by cinematographer Masanobu Takanagi. Bruce on a deck, Bruce by the water, Bruce in close-up, Bruce on a carousel, Bruce setting up his primitive Pioneer 4-track recorder with Paul Walter Hauser’s help, Bruce with his on-again/off-again girlfriend of the moment.
Jeremy White is a major star in the making. No wonder Calvin Klein is using him in underwear ads. [The Calvin Klein Men’s Underwear Spring 2024 advertisement generated $12.7 million in media impact value in less than 48 hours.]
Those three scenes ought to earn him consideration for an Oscar nomination. Not sure if the rest of the film (sound?) will garner additional Oscar accolades.
CAREER
It appears that the young Jeremy Allen White, like Springsteen himself, has everything it takes to mesmerize audiences.White been proving it since 2006, when he had his first role at the age of 15. Now 34, it’s hard to believe that this is his first feature film lead. (He had a smaller role in “The Iron Claw” as Kerry Von Erich in 2023). White even admitted to a period after “Shameless” ended after 11 years when he had a similar crisis of confidence. (*Admission: I never got into “The Bear” although I am a huge Jeremy Allen White fan.)
CONCLUSION
I’ve read that The Rock’s film was also pulverized at the box office over the Halloween weekend. Nothing out right now in the theaters this past weekend did well. I was in a Multiplex from 3:30 until 7:00 p.m.. The place was deserted.
The performances in “Deliver Me From Nowhere” are uniformly strong. The fact that Jeremy Allen White taught himself to play guitar and harmonica and sings his own songs is remarkable. (He certainly has the toss-of-the-head down.) The film deals sensitively with his romance with the young mother of a small daughter. Overall, “Deliver Me From Nowhere” is entertaining with great performances from its leads.
