Ticketworthy! - Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

By now, audiences have a pretty good idea of what to expect when they sit down to watch a film about the life of a real famous person, especially a musician. The main character is going to be troubled, fighting their demons using their art. They’ll have success and probably let it go to their head, leading to a downfall. Then, they’ll redeem themself and put on one huge show at the end, so everyone knows that they are back. It’s a formula we’ve seen a hundred times, for better or worse. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere abandons those tropes entirely and opts to tell its story very differently. It’s too bad it really doesn’t work.

Instead of following Bruce (Jeremy Allen White) during his rise in the music industry, Deliver Me From Nowhere starts with him already quite successful. He’s just released his Born to Run album, his first huge commercial hit, and he’s become a household name. Bruce returns to his hometown to work on the follow-up, where he is haunted by his troubled childhood relationship with his father. He channels that pain into a stripped-down, folksy album that nobody but him seems to understand. Along with his steadfast and loyal manager, Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong), he has to fight to get his vision for the album out uncompromised.

It’s easy to see the appeal of the story. After Born to Run, Nebraska was a jarring shift in tone for Springsteen. The darkness and pain that led to its creation, and the pushback he received on it, are fertile grounds for storytelling. However, in a two-hour movie, there is simply too little time given to the depths of Bruce’s mind. Mostly, the Bruce presented on camera is a quiet, introspective, genius of an artist. The fleeting glances we get of his depression and self-destructive nature don’t feel meaningful, because they exist only to justify the dark material he’s writing.

Then there’s the strange subplot with his love interest, Faye (Odessa Young). She is a completely fictional character added to the movie to give Bruce a human connection during his dark moments. Presumably, she’s meant to show us how he struggles with relationships thanks to the strained one he has with his father. The thing is, Bruce already has an interesting relationship with Landau, who serves as his friend as much as his manager. Sure, it’s not a romance, but this story didn’t need a romance. It’s supposed to be about Bruce and his mental state. All Faye does is waste precious screen time that could have been better spent on something that actually happened.

As for the technical aspects of the film, it should go without saying that the soundtrack is fantastic. It’s Bruce Springsteen’s music. That said, it feels underused. Again, it’s clear this story is meant to be about Bruce and not the music specifically, but it’s still a Bruce Springsteen movie, not making th most of those songs feels like a mistake.

Jeremy Allen White is an absolute powerhouse in the lead role. He’s doing everything he can to sell the depths of Bruce’s troubled mind, even as the script undermines him constantly. That this film isn’t a complete dud is almost entirely thanks to him. Do not be shocked if you hear his name a good bit during award season.

Unfortunately, it’s a performance somewhat wasted in a weak movie. White manages to elevate the film, sure, but the whole thing still ends up being mediocre and forgettable. It’s a shame, because I think this approach to the genre is interesting and the material covered is fascinating. The execution is just boring. Despite some good ideas and performances, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere isn’t exactly born to run.