Galery

1

The new film by American director of Greek origin Alexander Payne is black and white and its characters are very ordinary people. However, film critics define it as a masterpiece and the committee of the American Film Academy has nominated it in six categories for this year's Oscar film awards.

Scenario

The father is an aging former alcoholic who thinks he has won one million dollars and only one trip from Montana to Nebraska separates him from his big prize. His family is negatively disposed towards the situation and does not believe that he has really won. The old man is not on good terms with his son who is forced to accompany him on his long journey. It enables the father and the son, who had cut all ties long ago, to become close again and to correct the mistakes of the past. Payne's film is one of the most tender, comic and beautiful films of this genre, paying tribute to the third age and its lost dignity.

In "Nebraska" Alexander Payne continues to develop the issues to which he referred first in "About Schmidt" and "Heirs". In the first film, he treats the frustrations and hopes of the elderly and in the second the horror and the need for unity in the family. In all three films, Payne allows his characters to breathe freely in an absolutely non-free environment that they themselves have created.

They try to communicate, interrupting their efforts alone. They discuss trivial family matters while watching TV, quarrel about the past, but their anger has no weight. They exist through their families but, at the same time, they mock them and want to get out of them.

Alexander Payne during the filming of "Nebraska"

Woody Grant from "Nebraska" is a not very talkative and amiable former alcoholic who returns to the places where he grew up, he will meet with relatives and old friends and will take his son to a place full of old and disillusioned people who gave up on life a long time ago.

The main characters in the black-and-white film are performed by Bruce Dern and Will Forte.

Nominations for the Oscars

"Nebraska" is nominated in the following categories: Best Picture, Best Director for Alexander Payne, Best Original Screenplay for Bob Nelson, Best Actor for theatre veteran Bruce Dern, Best Cinematography for Phedon Papamichael and Best Supporting Actress for June Squibb.

"Nebraska" has been shown in Greek cinemas since 23 January.