Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska has had a new moment in the sun with the release of a box album set Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition as well as the release of the movie Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025). The film, about Springsteen’s personal turmoil during the making of the album, is based on the book Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska by Warren Haynes.
The film has received some good reviews and some mixed. But by most accounts it was a disappointment at the box office. There have been various explanations for the low attendance numbers. The explanations often center around the fact that the film does not have any major stars (despite a strong performance by Jeremy Allen White), it focuses on a narrow time period around one of Springsteen’s lesser-known albums, and the movie presents a depressing time in the artist’s life rather than a period of rousing successes. Some also have argued that Springsteen fans tend to be an older demographic, and that Springsteen has alienated some of his fans through his comments about Donald Trump.
I am a fan of Springsteen’s music. His work has been a major part of my life since before Nebraska was released. Since Nebraska, I’ve purchased every album he has released on the date each album was released. Further, from books and his interviews, I was familiar with much of the stories around his life. I also admire him for being open about his political beliefs even when it might have made economic sense for him to have been quiet while the movie was coming out.
So, if you are not a Springsteen fan, my opinion of the film may not connect with you. But for others who might be interested in the movie, should you see it — and if you are a fan of the album Nebraska, should you get the new box set? Here are 9 short thoughts from one Springsteen fan.
1. A fan may find it difficult to watch the portrayal of someone you “know” go through a dark period in their life struggling with depression. But if you have any interest in the man or the music, the movie gives you an interesting insight into the creative process and the turmoil of the man.
2. While one single moment does not break through in White’s performance, the movie’s portrayal of Springsteen’s depression reveals itself slowly, eventually making me feel on the verge of tears for much of the movie.
3. Don’t go to the movie looking for much about the E Street Band. Because the movie focuses on a period during the development of a solo album while Springsteen was not touring, there is not much interaction with the band. We do get to see Springsteen and the E Street Band in the studio working on some songs, including a successful recording of “Born in the USA.” Fans will recognize the portrayal of the various band members, but otherwise we do not get to see Springsteen hanging out with Clarence Clemons, Steven Van Zandt, or other band members. If you want more about Springsteen’s relationship with the band members during this period, check out Warren Haynes’s book.
4. The movie made me love Springsteen even more for his courage in participating in the book and the movie. The film shows him at a vulnerable time in his life where the portrayal is not always flattering. His willingness to show his struggles with depression is a gift for viewers.
5. The movie ends with a quiet personal triumph, but should it have been a larger triumph? Perhaps a different ending with him on stage during the subsequent Born in the USA tour performing an uplifting song like “No Surrender” would have made moviegoers happier as they left the theater, leading to bigger box office. Maybe it would have boosted box office. But I get that it might not have been as honest to the focus on Springsteen’s struggles, making it seem like all one needs to overcome depression is a hit song.
6. If you are a Springsteen fan, should you see the movie? Yes, of course, if you want more insight into a great artist.
7.If you are not a fan of Springsteen or his music, should you see the movie? Maybe, as long as you go into the movie realizing it is more about an artist’s struggle with depression than about an artist’s triumph or his hit songs.
8. The music: Does the movie give fans more insight into the songs on Nebraska? Yes, although I knew much of the story, like how the movie Badlands influenced the writing of the song “Nebraska,” the movie gave me additional insight. The scene where Springsteen changes the lyrics to “Nebraska” from third person to first person was an insightful moment for me, reinforcing how these songs are personal to Springsteen. While many of his songs are obviously personal, you get a better sense of why he fought so hard for these songs to be released as he originally recorded them rather than re-record them with the band.
9. The music: If you already have Nebraska the album, should you buy the box set, which includes an album of outtakes, an album of band versions of the songs (“Electric Nebraska”), a recent live recording of the album, and the original album remastered? Many music critics have noted that nothing in the box set improves upon the original album. But the outtakes and the songs that make up what has been called “Electric Nebraska” add additional insight and many of them are fun to listen to. I am glad he released the album he did in 1982. And I have heard many of the electric versions of the songs in live versions. Yet, on the new set I still loved some of the other versions (like the band version of “Reason to Believe”) and was surprised by others.
If you like the album, the box set is worth it. Or you can just stream the music, but give it a listen.
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