Why the Springsteen Film "Deliver Me from Nowhere" Is an Excellent Film That Speaks to Our Times

I don't know what the critic who gave tepid reviews saw, but the Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere biopic is a deep, moving portrait of an artist whose pain from a tough childhood nearly takes him down. Bruce has said this film is about his memories, his feelings, and his experiences—and that makes it all the more interesting to watch and witness.

The film is about masculinity, mental illness, childhood trauma, generational depression, kindness and support, deep, sustaining male friendships, the transcendent power of art, and, most importantly, the healing power of therapy.

Do I wish the film's love interest could have been able to be a rock star and not spend the film being drawn in and rejected by Bruce because she is a struggling single mother waiting for a damaged Bruce to accept love? Yes. But we know better now than we did then. Be the rock star, not the fan.

Of course, the acting is top notch, starting with Jeremy Allen White as Bruce, Odessa Young as the young mother drawn to the rising star, and Jeremy Strong as a loving and accepting champion of Bruce, his producer and manager Jon Landau. Director/Writer Scott Cooper uses extreme close-ups in an affecting way that brings the pain and action intimately close to the audience.

I highly recommend it for fans of Springsteen and anyone interested in a portrait of someone struggling with sadness and despair who seeks, and gets, help and goes on to become one of the biggest rock stars of our age. It's a slice of the human condition and feels like the perfect film for our times, when men are in crisis.