A new trailer for the Bruce Springsteen biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere debuted online recently, and it focuses on the hurdles the Boss dealt with while trying to get his record company to release his stripped-down 1982 acoustic album Nebraska.
Videos by American Songwriter
The preview begins with a scene showing Jeremy Allen White as Springsteen recording his 1984 hit “Born in the U.S.A.” A quick montage of film clips sets up how popular Bruce had become by the time he started recording Nebraska.
During the montage, a note flashes across the screen in three parts that reads, “Everyone knows his music … but no one knows the moment … everything changed.” The music suddenly cuts out, and we see Bruce in the studio telling his manager Jon Ladau (portrayed by Jeremy Strong) and producer Chuck Plotkin (played by Marc Maron), “Put ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ on the shelf. I want this record to feel different.”
The trailer proceeds to show various scenes from the film, including a conversation Springsteen had with Landau about his vision for the decidedly noncommercial Nebraska.
“The label, once you have your first Top 10, they want three for the next,” he tells Landau in one scene. “And we’ve never been about singles, but the whole story. [I’m] just trying to break a little new ground.”
Another scene shows Bruce setting up a makeshift recording studio in his bedroom, where recorded Nebraska. He tells his engineer, Mike Batlan (played by Paul Walter Hauser), “It don’t need to be perfect. I just want it to feel right.”
Trailer Touches on Springsteen’s Conflict with His Label
As the promo continues, another message flashes on the screen, “Witness a true story … of risking it all … for what you believe in.”
We hear Landau comment, “He’s channeling something deeply personal,” as a brief scene from the film is shown alluding to Springsteen’s troubled relationship with his father.
Next, Springsteen is shown telling Landau, “These new songs, they’re the only thing that make any sense to me right now.” We then see Bruce in the studio declaring emphatically, “This is what we’re putting out. No changes, exactly as it is.” A homemade cassette tape that reads “Demo,” apparently featuring the Nebraska album, is then shown.
The trailer moves on to show Strong as Landau being pressured by Springsteen’s record label to not release Nebraska.
One label rep on the phone tells the manager, “This is nuts, Jon. You know it, I know it, and deep inside Bruce knows it.’
Landau is then shown meeting in his office with Columbia Records exec Al Teller (portrayed by David Krumholtz).
“The man’s on a rocket ship, and we don’t want him to miss that window. Radio can’t play this,” Teller says.
Landau responds, “In this office, my office, we believe in Bruce Springsteen.”
The trailer ends with another montage of scenes centered around Springsteen playing a jubilant live version of “Born to Run” with the E Street Band. The promo is the final trailer that will be released for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere before the film opens in theaters on Friday October 24.
More About Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere and Nebraska
As previously reported, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is based on musician-turned-author Warren Zanes’ 2023 non-fiction novel Deliver Me from Nowhere. Like the film, the book tells the story of the making of Nebraska. Zanes co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Cooper, who directed the movie.
Springsteen and Landau were both involved in the production of the flick.
Released in September 1982, Nebraska was Springsteen’s sixth studio effort, a follow-up to his chart-topping 1980 album The River. Nebraska features 10 sparse songs that mostly told stories of desperate men struggling to succeed at life, but failing. Among the standout tracks are “Atlantic City,” “Johnny 99,” and “Highway Patrolman.”
Although Nebraska featured no hit singles, it reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 1989, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million copies in the U.S.
Springsteen is releasing a deluxe, expanded version of Nebraska, titled Nebraska ’82, on October 24, coinciding with the film’s theatrical premiere. You can pre-order Nebraska ’82 now.
(Photo Courtesy of 20th Century Studios)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.