Jeremy Allen White stars as music legend Bruce Springsteen in the biopic, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” (Photo Credit: Getty Images).
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(“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” trailer courtesy of 20th Century Studios)
Producing a biopic on an iconic figure can be a daunting task.
Does the filmmaker attempt to pack an entire lifetime into two to three hours, like in the Tupac Shakur biopic, “All Eyez on Me?”
Or do they focus on a specific historic moment, like in the movie “Selma” and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.?
In “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” filmmaker Scott Cooper chooses the latter, and the result is a fabulous depiction of the fear of success and how real survivor’s remorse is for those who come from nothing and gain the entire world.
Even for Bruce Springsteen novices who only know “Born in the U.S.A.” and his iconic back-and-forth with Stevie Wonder on “We Are the World,” his legendary status cannot be denied.
Even those who do not listen to his entire catalog regularly know that raspy and gritty voice that has led to millions in record sales and decades of sold-out concerts.
But where did it all begin?
The biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” shows how the New Jersey native’s rise to superstardom almost disintegrated right before it was about to take off because of depression, past family trauma and fear of the unknown.
Superstars aside, many people have dreams and aspirations.
Those who possess big dreams often must make significant sacrifices and work tirelessly to achieve them.
And unfortunately, sometimes a person can get comfortable grinding towards success.
But then, when success is right at their fingertips, they seem to do everything in their power to sabotage themselves.
When Bruce (Jeremy Allen White) comes off tour in 1981, he has finally reached that pop star status that many musicians aspire to attain.
He finally has a top 10 pop record and has consistently sold-out tours off his latest album, “The River.”
Although he desperately needs some rest and relaxation following the grueling tour, many record companies would want to capitalize on the momentum of a top 10 record and a successful tour.
Furthermore, Bruce is so on fire that he is receiving opportunities to appear in feature films and produce music for the soundtrack.
Therefore, it is imperative that Bruce give his fans something like “The River” album on the follow-up while also capitalizing on other creative offers coming his way.
The record company at least wants another hit single, even if Bruce does not have a full-length album lined up.
But Bruce is a true artist.
He likes his albums to tell a complete story and has never placed much emphasis on singles.
And like many artists, why would he want his next project to sound like his previous project?
After some time off, he begins laying out some ideas for his next project in his home studio.
He finds inspiration in a mass killing that he learns about on television.
That tragic event somewhat mirrored some of the turmoil that happened in his home growing up.
The songs that Bruce begins recording for his next album are deeply personal, non-rock & roll and very uncommercial.
But the songs are very therapeutic to Bruce.
Unlike many superstars with lots of hangers-on trying to leech off his success, Bruce has a great support system.
Despite the dysfunction in his childhood home, he has maintained a great relationship with his parents, Douglas Springsteen (Stephen Graham) and Adele Springsteen (Gaby Hoffman).
His manager, Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong), is more like a best friend or brother, supporting all of Bruce’s creative leanings, while also holding him accountable for his imperfections.
And he has a beautiful young lady in his life, Faye Romano (Odessa Young), who truly cares for him, the person, not the rock star.
But Bruce is constantly running from all his blessings.
He is shunning his stardom.
He is shunning his woman.
And he is shunning his mental health.
The key question in “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” is whether shunning all those things simultaneously makes it impossible to capitalize on the momentum that he has created for his shining career.
“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” resonates because Bruce is everyone.
Sure, most of us will not reach the fame and wealth that he has.
But many can relate to coming from nowhere and going farther than we ever imagined in our wildest dreams.
Many people can relate to outgrowing our surroundings but being scared to let go of our past.
Many people can relate to running good people away, even after spending much of their life praying for God to send them good people who have their back.
Many people ruin their lives by making decisions that thwart their growth and block their blessings.
However, some deal with that survivor’s remorse and take the next step in life, never looking back on the pain or the comfort of the past.
Others will relate to having a vision that other people cannot see.
Do you listen to the naysayers?
Or do you stand firm in your convictions and watch your vision come to life right before everyone’s very eyes?
In “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” Bruce is faced with that dilemma.
Standing firm or conforming will determine if his art is released the way he wants it or in a compromised fashion.
Although many people will relate to Bruce’s dilemma, moviegoers already know what route his life and career took after those pivotal days in the early 1980s, which makes the conclusion anticlimactic.
Despite the predictability of “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” the movie does not disappoint thanks to the performances of White, Strong and Young.
Their talent and delivery make the daunting task of telling the story of “The Boss” an easy job.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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