Born to Run… Straight to Everyman this October

From director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere offers an intimate, moving portrait of Bruce Springsteen at a pivotal moment in his career. Jeremy Allen White takes the lead, capturing the intensity, vulnerability, and quiet brilliance of The Boss as he creates his sixth studio album, Nebraska, an album that would become one of the most personal and enduring of his career.

Rather than focusing on stadium tours or chart hits, the film looks into the quieter, more challenging years of Springsteen’s early ’80s life. It follows him as he deals with fame, family, and the demands of artistic integrity. White brings Springsteen to life with nuance and care, performing many of the songs live, including Born to Run and the haunting title track from Nebraska, without ever feeling like imitation.

The supporting cast helps flesh out this world. Jeremy Strong plays manager Jon Landau, offering guidance through both the pressures of fame and the creative process. Paul Walter Hauser is pitch-perfect as recording engineer Mike Batlan, while Stephen Graham portrays Bruce’s father, Douglas, with stark emotional depth. 

Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi and Cooper recreate New Jersey in the late ’70s and early ’80s with authenticity, from dimly lit diners and car lots to the hum of tape machines and valve amps. The film moves between Springsteen’s childhood in black-and-white flashbacks and the early ’80s, showing both his personal struggles and the small, intimate moments that inspired some of his most memorable work.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere isn’t a greatest-hits spectacle, it’s a portrait of a man at a crossroads, staying true to himself and his music in the face of pressure, expectation, and personal turmoil. 

Did you know?

Jeremy Allen White trained for five months with vocal and guitar coaches to perform Springsteen’s songs live on camera. Springsteen himself has praised White’s dedication to capturing his mannerisms, voice, and emotional presence during this period.

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