December 20, 2025
FILM: SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE
DIRECTED BY: SCOTT COOPER
STARRING: JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, JEREMY STRONG, STEPHEN GRAHAM
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
It’s been a few weeks since audiences first had a chance to see The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White star as Bruce Springsteen in the new biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. The response to the film has been mixed and it hasn’t had the kind of awards attention that last year’s film about Bob Dylan, A Complete Unknown, did. As it is about to become available for streaming on December 23rd, I thought it was time to take a look at the film and see if it does warrant more attention. I think it does. It’s not perfect but it is an interesting look at The Boss at a difficult and pivotal point in his career.
It begins with a flashback to 1957 when young Bruce is living in New Jersey with his parents, played by Stephen Graham and Gaby Hoffman. It’s clear that dad is a bit of a tough guy and Bruce is not. There seems to be some physical abuse in the family and his parents are struggling both financially and personally. Cut to 1981 as Bruce is finishing up his tour promoting the album The River. He has a hit, Hungry Hearts, on the charts, playing alongside Foreigner and Santana but Bruce just needs a rest. We then see him moping around his Jersey home, watching television, doing some writing, and playing the harmonica. It’s a quiet, solitary existence away from the masses.
Meanwhile, Bruce’s manager Jon Landau, played by Jeremy Strong, is dealing with the record company looking for the next album. One day Bruce is watching the Terrence Malick film Badlands and becomes inspired to write acoustic songs rather than arena rock. His writing at the time also includes songs such as Born in the USA and I’m on Fire which would be shelved for a future project. Instead, Bruce is tormented by his past and insists on creating what will become the Nebraska album that he won’t write hit singles for or promote.
Focusing the film on this period in Bruce’s life may not have been the best commercial idea, just as Nebraska wasn’t his most successful album. Audiences who want to see the story of the Bruce they know might be disappointed because he is at a low point in his life. His “Boss” persona isn’t on display. Rather this is a much more intimate portrait of the man as he deals with some of his personal demons. How his relationship with his father in particular feeds into this period isn’t completely clear. Bruce seems somewhat downbeat and is apparently suffering from depression, but these aren’t given any major dramatic moments in the film. He does have a panic attack at one point while out in public, but the general depiction isn’t a major roller coaster ride on screen.
This may have also affected the film’s reception. Perhaps it needed more of Bruce’s highs and lows. I don’t think it’s necessary though. The story is solid. What may be lacking is the energy of A Complete Unknown. A few highpoints come when, for instance, he transforms Born in the USA into the rock classic it has become. However, the film basically remains at a fairly low-key dramatic level.
What effect does Jeremy Allen White have on the film playing Bruce? Well, the performance is fine if not overly transformative in the way many felt Timothee Chalamet was as Dylan. White doesn’t completely look like Bruce although attempts have been made to give him darker hair, eyes, and brows. But these are just exterior features. He has the dramatic range to hit some of the lower moments Bruce experiences and he captures some of the nuances of Bruce’s voice, especially in the aforementioned scene featuring Born in the USA. There’s also a sweetness in the portrayal of his relationship with Fay Romano, played by Odessa Young.
I was less than delighted with Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau though. He tries too hard to tackle an East Coast accent with a pretty annoying cadence that gets very tiresome to hear after a while. It feels like we are watching Strong trying to inhabit a character by emphasizing his exterior characteristics. It seems like “Acting” rather than a lived in performance.
However, the film does have its merits, especially when it focuses on Bruce’s creative process. It’s interesting to hear some of the early versions of his songs, especially those that became big hits later. I’ve never spent any time with the Nebraska album but his dedication to its sound and coherence is worth seeing. Knowing what comes next and why he delayed it due to his inner turmoil may have made for a more popular film, but this one sets the stage for a period that most of us who were around at the time know quite well.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is currently playing in theaters and will begin streaming for rent/purchase on December 23rd.
FILM: SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE
DIRECTED BY: SCOTT COOPER
STARRING: JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, JEREMY STRONG, STEPHEN GRAHAM
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
It’s been a few weeks since audiences first had a chance to see The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White star as Bruce Springsteen in the new biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. The response to the film has been mixed and it hasn’t had the kind of awards attention that last year’s film about Bob Dylan, A Complete Unknown, did. As it is about to become available for streaming on December 23rd, I thought it was time to take a look at the film and see if it does warrant more attention. I think it does. It’s not perfect but it is an interesting look at The Boss at a difficult and pivotal point in his career.
It begins with a flashback to 1957 when young Bruce is living in New Jersey with his parents, played by Stephen Graham and Gaby Hoffman. It’s clear that dad is a bit of a tough guy and Bruce is not. There seems to be some physical abuse in the family and his parents are struggling both financially and personally. Cut to 1981 as Bruce is finishing up his tour promoting the album The River. He has a hit, Hungry Hearts, on the charts, playing alongside Foreigner and Santana but Bruce just needs a rest. We then see him moping around his Jersey home, watching television, doing some writing, and playing the harmonica. It’s a quiet, solitary existence away from the masses.
Meanwhile, Bruce’s manager Jon Landau, played by Jeremy Strong, is dealing with the record company looking for the next album. One day Bruce is watching the Terrence Malick film Badlands and becomes inspired to write acoustic songs rather than arena rock. His writing at the time also includes songs such as Born in the USA and I’m on Fire which would be shelved for a future project. Instead, Bruce is tormented by his past and insists on creating what will become the Nebraska album that he won’t write hit singles for or promote.
Focusing the film on this period in Bruce’s life may not have been the best commercial idea, just as Nebraska wasn’t his most successful album. Audiences who want to see the story of the Bruce they know might be disappointed because he is at a low point in his life. His “Boss” persona isn’t on display. Rather this is a much more intimate portrait of the man as he deals with some of his personal demons. How his relationship with his father in particular feeds into this period isn’t completely clear. Bruce seems somewhat downbeat and is apparently suffering from depression, but these aren’t given any major dramatic moments in the film. He does have a panic attack at one point while out in public, but the general depiction isn’t a major roller coaster ride on screen.
This may have also affected the film’s reception. Perhaps it needed more of Bruce’s highs and lows. I don’t think it’s necessary though. The story is solid. What may be lacking is the energy of A Complete Unknown. A few highpoints come when, for instance, he transforms Born in the USA into the rock classic it has become. However, the film basically remains at a fairly low-key dramatic level.
What effect does Jeremy Allen White have on the film playing Bruce? Well, the performance is fine if not overly transformative in the way many felt Timothee Chalamet was as Dylan. White doesn’t completely look like Bruce although attempts have been made to give him darker hair, eyes, and brows. But these are just exterior features. He has the dramatic range to hit some of the lower moments Bruce experiences and he captures some of the nuances of Bruce’s voice, especially in the aforementioned scene featuring Born in the USA. There’s also a sweetness in the portrayal of his relationship with Fay Romano, played by Odessa Young.
I was less than delighted with Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau though. He tries too hard to tackle an East Coast accent with a pretty annoying cadence that gets very tiresome to hear after a while. It feels like we are watching Strong trying to inhabit a character by emphasizing his exterior characteristics. It seems like “Acting” rather than a lived in performance.
However, the film does have its merits, especially when it focuses on Bruce’s creative process. It’s interesting to hear some of the early versions of his songs, especially those that became big hits later. I’ve never spent any time with the Nebraska album but his dedication to its sound and coherence is worth seeing. Knowing what comes next and why he delayed it due to his inner turmoil may have made for a more popular film, but this one sets the stage for a period that most of us who were around at the time know quite well.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is currently playing in theaters and will begin streaming for rent/purchase on December 23rd.