Spoilers for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere lie ahead.
Bruce Springsteen’s story – well, at least part of it – is chronicled in the biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. Written and directed by Scott Cooper, the film sees Jeremy Allen White take on the role of “The Boss,” and it centers on a very specific time in the beloved singer and musician’s life and career. Notably, Cooper’s flick mostly highlights the making of Springsteen’s 1892 album, Nebraska. As for why that record – and not Born in the U.S.A. or another big album – is featured, Cooper explained the reasoning behind that.
To say that Springsteen has a major discography would be an understatement, and many would surely argue that Born in the U.S.A. is his most iconic album. Considering that record’s popularity and subject matter, it would seem obvious to make it the crux of a biopic. Cooper even acknowledged to EW that it would be somewhat easy to produce a film centered around Springsteen’s 1984 album. However, it seems that, for his film, the director wanted to get a bit more introspective via the ‘82 record:
One can very easily make a film about Born in the U.S.A. They are two sides of the same coin. Nebraska is Bruce alone with a four-track recorder whispering his despair into a microphone. Born in the U.S.A. is Bruce talking about some of the same themes, but he sets them in stadium-sized anthems. One is Bruce’s private diary, and the other is a larger, public declaration. You can’t have one without the other.
In Deliver Me from Nowhere, Bruce Springsteen retreats to a rental home in Asbury Park for solace, and he along with recording engineer Mike Batlan (Paul Walter Hauser) also records some songs. After creating those acoustic tracks, Springsteen records songs that sound a bit more on brand for him, but he’s still drawn to the acoustic bits he initially produced. Those softer tunes are what Springsteen truly connects with, though and, via his manager Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong), he advocates for that first set of tracks, which end up populating Nebraska. However, during those sessions at the house, an early version of “Born in the U.S.A.” is also created and that along with a few other tunes are held over.
So, as Scott Cooper points out, there is a keen connection between Nebraska and Born in the U.S.A., with the eponymous song and other tracks from the latter even having been conceived while the former album was crafted. Yet Cooper’s decision to focus on the 1982 record allowed him to tell a more intimate story. With that, this film sheds light on Springsteen’s battle with depression and his confrontation with childhood trauma. Cooper also loves the artistry Springsteen applies to the album at the center of the movie:
Bruce has always written like a filmmaker. His songs are filled with landscapes, characters, and frames that feel right out of American cinema. In Nebraska, that cinematic quality becomes more stark. It’s a series of black-and-white images stripped of spectacle. Every song plays like a short film.
Critics’ reactions to Deliver Me from Nowhere cite the movie’s somewhat melancholic tone. As dour as the film may be at times, it still paints a strong portrait of one of our most iconic entertainers, even without fully highlighting the ‘84 album that turned him into a true megastar. In addition to featuring a winning performance from Jeremy Allen White (who didn’t consult Austin Butler or other stars of music biopics), there are also subtle references Bruce Springsteen fans will appreciate while getting a sense of Nebraska’s origins.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is now playing in theaters nationwide. Check out the 2025 movie schedule for information on other flicks that are playing in cinemas now as well.