[oink]

Tried to watch this WAY TOO OBVIOUS attempt at nabbing awards.....


This is the first movie by Alexander Payne I have been disappointed in.


Everything is wrong here...


1) The writing is weak.

Never did I feel any empathy for or reason to stay with the movie.

Apparently, Mr. Payne was hoping everyone had forgotten The Straight Story.


2) The characters are uninteresting (except for "Mom").

I could care LESS about the Story of Woody and his equally dull, dim-witted family.


3)The acting is NOT top-notch.

I can't believe Bruce Dern got praise for his work here.

I caught him "acting" many times.

His so-called gimpy walk was the exact opposite of convincing....very poorly done.


4) The cinematography is uninspired.

Again, Mr. Payne was hoping everyone had forgotten films were once filmed in B/W.

It's really a shame this is a BP nominee.....I'm bummed.

 

[tenthplanet]



Quote:
Originally Posted by oink  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska#post_24415402


Tried to watch this WAY TOO OBVIOUS attempt at nabbing awards.....


This is the first movie by Alexander Payne I have been disappointed in.


Everything is wrong here...


1) The writing is weak.

Never did I feel any empathy for or reason to stay with the movie.

Apparently, Mr. Payne was hoping everyone had forgotten The Straight Story.


2) The characters are uninteresting (except for "Mom").

I could care LESS about the Story of Woody and his equally dull, dim-witted family.


3)The acting is NOT top-notch.

I can't believe Bruce Dern got praise for his work here.

I caught him "acting" many times.

His so-called gimpy walk was the exact opposite of convincing....very poorly done.


4) The cinematography is uninspired.

Again, Mr. Payne was hoping everyone had forgotten films were once filmed in B/W.

It's really a shame this is a BP nominee.....I'm bummed.

I think 12years A Slave has this one beat out. Even in the TV commercial there was something off about the use of Black and White it just that the the color just died on your TV look. Reruns on Cozi TV have better looking black and white.

 

[Aliens]

Such a stark contrast from these reviews. 80+% positive across the board.


Rottentomatoes has its critics, but the audience vote is the one I look at. I have a short wait in my queue.

http://www.amazon.com/Nebraska-Blu-ray-DVD-Digital-HD/dp/B00H9L28OO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393504748&sr=8-2&keywords=Nebraska

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1821549/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nebraska/

 

[fookoo_2010]

IMHO worth seeing once. Beautifully shot. DTS HD 3.0. Employed a lot of older overweight actors. A different view of a small town USA, but different than what one would expect, but not quite as shocking as Beast of the Southern Wild, but more entertaining than Inside Llewyn Davis. Can feel to be a bit slow and predictable after awhile and would have benefited from some editing. The protagonist is impossible to identify or sympathize with, and does not have the charisma or charm of Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood in House of Cards. Appropriately for AVS forum: his son is an audio video salesman and you see Bose and Onkyo prominently for a few seconds. Maybe they helped finance this film with product placement. A super low budget film that must have been shot on location that makes it feel authentic and has already made back its budget. The BR would seem to be destined for the bargain basement bin like The Artist that I bought for $3.99 new from Amazon.

 

[oink]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Aliens  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska/0_60#post_24415697


Such a stark contrast from these reviews. 80+% positive across the board.


Rottentomatoes has its critics, but the audience vote is the one I look at. I have a short wait in my queue.

http://www.amazon.com/Nebraska-Blu-ray-DVD-Digital-HD/dp/B00H9L28OO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393504748&sr=8-2&keywords=Nebraska

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1821549/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nebraska/

I guess I don't have to re-state my opinion of the value of the those 3 sources of criticism.....

Another thing I didn't really mention before: glacial pacing

It is a true test in trying to stay awake thru a movie.

 

[oink]



Quote:
Originally Posted by fookoo_2010  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska/0_60#post_24416929


IMHO worth seeing once. Beautifully shot. DTS HD 3.0. Employed a lot of older overweight actors. A different view of a small town USA, but different than what one would expect, but not quite as shocking as Beast of the Southern Wild, but more entertaining than Inside Llewyn Davis.

Oh man, now I'm really bummed.

I haven't seen the movie and am a big-time fan of the Coen Bros.

 

[Aliens]



Quote:
Originally Posted by oink  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska#post_24416954



Another thing I didn't really mention before: glacial pacing

It is a true test in trying to stay awake thru a movie.

How many glasses of Bushmills were killed during the viewing of this movie?

 

[oink]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Aliens  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska/0_60#post_24417402


How many glasses of Bushmills were killed during the viewing of this movie?

Not nearly enough....believe me.

 

[fookoo_2010]

Careful, you don't want to end up like Woody Grant.

 

[oink]



Quote:
Originally Posted by fookoo_2010  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska/0_60#post_24420100


Careful, you don't want to end up like Woody Grant.

YOLO.

 

[srw1000]

Watched this movie last night, and liked it. A lot.


The script was both sharp and true to life. The characters were all believable, although the mother's role was close to being over the top a few times. The acting was solid. I thought Dern did a fantastic job as Woody, and I was genuinely surprised at how well Forte played his son. Normally, I can't stand the guy, but he did a great job of portraying a son grappling with both his life and that of his father's decline.


They also nailed the flavor and feel of a small Midwest town, in looks, population, community, and decline. The musical score and soundtrack were also fitting and effective. Photography was outstanding, using the black and white media to sharply draw both the characters and environment.


I also have to give them credit for the ending, as I was sure that they were going to end the movie
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) just as they were entering the city limits of Lincoln. Instead, they found a way to close out Woody's story that was both believable and satisfactory.


Sure, the pacing was a bit slow for today's typical movie, but it never felt like it dragged at any point, and that seemed intentional, given the subject matter and general themes of the movie. The film also stirred up lots of points for pondering and discussion, without ever reaching the point of overbearing pontification.


It ended up being a touching, yet humor-filled look at both the life of an old guy and his son. An old guy filled with shortcomings, failures, mistakes, and one last hope. It's also a story about those around him, who are both touched and frustrated with who he was and who he's become.


Recommended viewing, and an eventual buy for me.


Scott

 

[oink]

Did we watch the same movie, Scott?

Just kidding....

 

[bobby94928]

I watched the same movie, yesterday, that you and Scott did and, like Scott, I like it a whole bunch for all the same reasons he mentioned....

 

[oink]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bobby94928  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska/0_60#post_24425802


I watched the same movie, yesterday, that you and Scott did and, like Scott, I like it a whole bunch for all the same reasons he mentioned....

As one Scott to another (yes, my real name is Scott), I guess he and I will agree to disagree on this one.

Which is OK....nothing wrong with different opinions at AVS.

I'm curious on one thing though....what was Woody's fate?

Was it a trip to where his wife wanted him to go?

Please put in Spoiler Tags if you can.

 

[srw1000]



Quote:
Originally Posted by oink  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska#post_24425108


Did we watch the same movie, Scott?

Just kidding....

Quote:
Originally Posted by oink  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska#post_24425821

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobby94928  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska/0_60#post_24425802


I watched the same movie, yesterday, that you and Scott did and, like Scott, I like it a whole bunch for all the same reasons he mentioned....

As one Scott to another (yes, my real name is Scott), I guess he and I will agree to disagree on this one.

Which is OK....nothing wrong with different opinions at AVS.

I'm curious on one thing though....what was Woody's fate?

Was it a trip to where his wife wanted him to go?

Please put in Spoiler Tags if you can.

Yes, we did have diametrically opposed views on this one. It is hard to believe that it's the same movie.


I don't want to be insulting, since I have no idea of your personal history or life, but part of why the movie affected me is how I've seen people and families deal with aging parents. For me, the topic was very well handled, and did a really good job of showing what many of has have or are going through. That includes the negative, positive, humorous, depressing, and exasperating situations that those transformations involve.


Beyond that, there were just so many succinct touchstone points of the movie that really helped it stand out for me. This includes the little things like:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

• The dim-witted cousins, who have absolutely nothing in common with David, obviously feeling inferior to him and then continuously digging at him for how long it took to drive to Hawthorne, along with their incredibly ridiculous driving-time claims
• The story behind Woody's parents' house. We look with admiration and appreciation of those who have built their own home theaters here, and with good reason. But let's not forget that many of our ancestors came here on a big gamble, and built their own homesteads with their own hands (and the help of neighbors and relatives). What a wonderful reminder of where we came from and where we are
• The shift in attitude of the locals and family members once they find out about Woody's good fortune
• The cemetery scene, specifically the points about paying respects, Catholics and Lutherans not being buried together (a sentiment that has all but disappeared in the past 40 years), and David's subtle reaction to seeing his name on his uncle's tombstone
• The affection shown by Peg about Woody, and what might have been, but without any hint of animosity or even regret
• The downtown, with what businesses are gone, but with taverns still holding on (the one constant in so many small towns)
• Woody's attitude about alcohol. Not a silly matter in itself, but how he can't see his obvious alcoholism, and what pain it ultimately caused his family, even as he used it to escape and cope with his own pain
• Aunt Martha's positive, yet questionable view about her son's conviction
• The scene with all the brother's sitting around watching the football game, and the car discussion
• Woody's attachment (not emotional) to the old compressor - an object that he has absolutely no use for, but still wants. What makes him hang on to something so trivial? And why is this something seen with the aged?

None of these are single gems that alone make the movie, but as elements, add critical depth, flavor, character, and realism to whole of the film.


And, again, some of this may be highly dependent on personal experience and how one has been affected. Just a hypothesis, and it could be way off the mark.


As to your question, can you elaborate on the Woody's fate question? I'm not sure what you're after.


Scott

 

[fookoo_2010]



Quote:
Originally Posted by oink  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska#post_24425821


As one Scott to another (yes, my real name is Scott), I guess he and I will agree to disagree on this one.

Which is OK....nothing wrong with different opinions at AVS.

I'm curious on one thing though....what was Woody's fate?

Was it a trip to where his wife wanted him to go?

Please put in Spoiler Tags if you can.

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) He then continued in his alcoholic haze, leaving the impression that he had actually won some dough by driving the truck down the street.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

[oink]



Quote:
Originally Posted by srw1000  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska/0_60#post_24426114



Yes, we did have diametrically opposed views on this one. It is hard to believe that it's the same movie.


I don't want to be insulting, since I have no idea of your personal history or life, but part of why the movie affected me is how I've seen people and families deal with aging parents. For me, the topic was very well handled, and did a really good job of showing what many of has have or are going through. That includes the negative, positive, humorous, depressing, and exasperating situations that those transformations involve.


Beyond that, there were just so many succinct touchstone points of the movie that really helped it stand out for me. This includes the little things like:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

• The dim-witted cousins, who have absolutely nothing in common with David, obviously feeling inferior to him and then continuously digging at him for how long it took to drive to Hawthorne, along with their incredibly ridiculous driving-time claims
• The story behind Woody's parents' house. We look with admiration and appreciation of those who have built their own home theaters here, and with good reason. But let's not forget that many of our ancestors came here on a big gamble, and built their own homesteads with their own hands (and the help of neighbors and relatives). What a wonderful reminder of where we came from and where we are
• The shift in attitude of the locals and family members once they find out about Woody's good fortune
• The cemetery scene, specifically the points about paying respects, Catholics and Lutherans not being buried together (a sentiment that has all but disappeared in the past 40 years), and David's subtle reaction to seeing his name on his uncle's tombstone
• The affection shown by Peg about Woody, and what might have been, but without any hint of animosity or even regret
• The downtown, with what businesses are gone, but with taverns still holding on (the one constant in so many small towns)
• Woody's attitude about alcohol. Not a silly matter in itself, but how he can't see his obvious alcoholism, and what pain it ultimately caused his family, even as he used it to escape and cope with his own pain
• Aunt Martha's positive, yet questionable view about her son's conviction
• The scene with all the brother's sitting around watching the football game, and the car discussion
• Woody's attachment (not emotional) to the old compressor - an object that he has absolutely no use for, but still wants. What makes him hang on to something so trivial? And why is this something seen with the aged?

None of these are single gems that alone make the movie, but as elements, add critical depth, flavor, character, and realism to whole of the film.


And, again, some of this may be highly dependent on personal experience and how one has been affected. Just a hypothesis, and it could be way off the mark.


As to your question, can you elaborate on the Woody's fate question? I'm not sure what you're after.

It sounds like the difference is you found it to be just the right amount of sentimental and I found it to be too much so (which is reflected in the thread title).

Quote:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) He then continued in his alcoholic haze, leaving the impression that he had actually won some dough by driving the truck down the street.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

OK, thanx for that.

 

[zoey67]



Quote:
Originally Posted by oink  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska/0_100#post_24415402


Tried to watch this WAY TOO OBVIOUS attempt at nabbing awards.....


This is the first movie by Alexander Payne I have been disappointed in.


Everything is wrong here...

.

I ain't surprised one bit Oink, most of the nominated movies are "very" subjective and random BS that seems to go on nowhere. Just like last year's winner Silver Lining playbook & this year's American Hustle.

 

[gwsat]

My take on films rarely differs much from oink's. This time, however, we differ widely. I really liked Nebraska, although I admit that its pacing was slooow. That said, the brilliant performances by June Squibb and Bruce Dern, along with Bob Nelson's great screenplay, turned the film into a delightful tour de force for two talented old pros. Nelson's screenplay was one of my contenders for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, and I wouldn't have complained at all if Squibb had won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. As I walked out of the theater after having seen Nebraska I was thinking that the 115 minutes I spent on watching the film had been well spent.

 

[MovieSwede]



Quote:
Originally Posted by gwsat  /t/1520086/oscar-bait-nebraska#post_24440588


My take on films rarely differs much from oink's. This time, however, we differ widely. I really liked Nebraska,

Well its not always the movie itself but the surrounding circumstances when you watch it. Just like its better the eat thaifood for dinner then it is for breakfast. Sometimes, revisiting a rejected movie can be very rewarding.