Telluride Review: Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere Showcases Excellent Performances Within Static Scenes

      The phrase “you did the best you could” is uttered at a pivotal moment in Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. It's a common cliché often used to gloss over various shortcomings. However, in Scott Cooper's biopic about Bruce Springsteen (inspired by Warren Zanes’ book Deliver Me from Nowhere), it resonates authentically. The film explores the creation of Springsteen’s 1982 masterpiece, Nebraska, framing this journey as a form of reckoning for the New Jersey icon. After the immense success of his previous albums, including Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, and The River, we find Bruce (played convincingly by Jeremy Allen White) drained of his energy. His manager and producer Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong, who is underutilized but impactful) acts as his support system and trusted advisor.

      While isolating himself in a rented home, Springsteen faces his strained relationship with his father (Stephen Graham) directly, using raw music and lyrics that will become Nebraska. Mike Batlan (Paul Walter Hauser) observes this process. Landau becomes increasingly concerned, as does the record company. Cooper, who began his career as an actor, excels at directing performances. He wisely keeps the focus on Jeremy Allen White, whose complex and unconventional charisma evokes memories of classic film stars. However, Cooper has struggled with pacing and camera movement in the past, issues that persist in Deliver Me from Nowhere. The film sometimes lingers too long in static shots and includes excessive dialogue scenes that merely reiterate the conflicts at hand. We are already aware of these struggles—we’re watching the film. Grace Gummer (as Jon Landau’s wife Barbara) unfortunately bears the burden of lines that serve mainly to remind Strong of the stakes involved.

      Odessa Young captures attention as Faye, a single mother enchanted by Bruce, who reciprocates her charm. Regrettably, and by design, the story eventually sidelining her character feels like a missed opportunity—an honest decision made by those involved in the film, including Springsteen and Landau, yet it detracts from a potentially more engaging storyline. The film’s most compelling segment revolves around the transfer of Nebraska from tape to vinyl. Originally recorded on inexpensive, new equipment for reference purposes, Bruce becomes enamored with the sound he captures—a unique quality that he and his engineers (including Marc Maron as Chuck Plotkin) struggle to replicate. These scenes carry a genuine, striking tension, and both White and Strong convey the pressure beautifully.

      Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere arrives at an opportune moment. In today’s post-Bohemian Rhapsody era, musician biopics are more popular than ever. Cooper smartly decides to tap into Bruce's legacy while maintaining a focus on intimacy and realism. While audiences are treated to some well-known hits, the emphasis remains on character development. Everyone faces their own battles every day. Springsteen has been candid about his personal struggles, and Cooper mirrors this aspect effectively. The result is a poignant, emotional experience that can feel somewhat conventional and overdone at times. They truly did the best they could.

      Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere debuted at the Telluride Film Festival and is set to be released on October 24.