Deliver Me from Nowhere

In depicting a superstar with a legendary catalog of rock staples and iconic performances, Deliver Me from Nowhere finds its rhythm off the stage.

Not a comprehensive biopic, this intimate drama from director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) instead captures a pivotal period in Bruce Springsteen’s life, when he stepped away from his skyrocketing career to write and record his seminal acoustic album Nebraska, a therapeutic and deeply personal exercise in coping with depression.

Along the way, the film uses Springsteen’s story to contrast masculinity and vulnerability, exploring his struggles to cope with the residual effects of childhood trauma, pressures of fame, and harsh realities of the music business.

The story opens in 1981, just as Bruce (Jeremy Allen White) is finishing up a wildly successful tour for his breakthrough album, The River. “Coming off the road has never been easy for you,” explains his producer, Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong).

Indeed, rather than capitalizing on his popularity, Bruce becomes consumed by memories of his abusive father (Stephen Graham). That causes him to discard a fleeting romance with Faye (Odessa Young) and retreat to a cabin in New Jersey to write some darker material.

As he sequesters himself in his bedroom, only accompanied by his guitar, he seeks catharsis and personal fulfillment through his music while reconsidering his own creative process.

Recording on cheap equipment procured by a trusted friend (Paul Walter Hauser), Bruce emerges with a cassette tape that causes sound engineers and record executives alike to shake their heads.

Commercial viability isn’t the point, he insists, and Jon becomes his only hope to see the side project realized. After all, Bruce has already recorded “Born in the U.S.A.” with his band for the next record.

White’s powerfully understated portrayal captures Springsteen’s essence by going beyond mimicry of his voice and mannerisms and unruly mop of hair.

At his core, he’s a loner searching for himself. White (The Iron Claw) probes that with more depth than Cooper’s screenplay — adapted from a nonfiction book by Warren Zanes — which often hits some conventional beats.

The film also pays tribute to Jon, played with rich nuance by Strong (The Apprentice), who believed in Springsteen and fought unconditionally for his vision.

Bolstered by solid period re-creation, Deliver Me from Nowhere is a contemplative character study that resists the hits in favor of more meaningful B-sides and supporting tracks. It’s a Boss move.

Rated PG-13, 119 minutes.