It’s no secret that Hollywood loves a biography, and this was long before practically all stories were inspired by real events. And in the wake of having Timothée Chalamet in a praised performance as Bob Dylan in A Complete Stranger, for the next Oscar, the Disney group wants to place Jeremy White Allen as none other than Bruce Springsteen. Will they succeed?

It’s ironic and correct, given the historical moment. For the young Bruce Springsteen, the impact of Bob Dylan‘s music was so significant that he embraced music as a career. Dylan’s poetic and social lyrics were fundamental to him, who has always admitted that they are his main reference as an artist.

On the other hand, unlike Dylan’s project, which I’ve been following since the first second it was announced, Springsteen’s biopic, The Boss, as it was affectionately nicknamed, came as a surprise, when the official photo of White as the singer was released. The first images shared at the CinemaCon event show the actor in jeans, doing a sound check in a hotel room. And, as expected, it has already been praised. Of course, and even more obvious: it closes with Born to Run, Springsteen’s biggest hit.

The title of the film, Deliver Me from Nowhere, refers to a famous line from the song The River, one of the most emblematic tracks of Springsteen’s career, written about his sister and her husband. The song talks about the struggle, frustrated dreams and difficulties of life in a small town, addressing themes such as the working class, unemployment and the search for a better future.

The phrase “deliver me from nowhere” can be seen as a plea for salvation or escape from a life without prospects, without direction, or from a stagnant place, which often appears in Springsteen’s songs. In this sense, it encapsulates the spirit of many of his lyrics, which deal with people struggling to escape from hardship and find a chance to start over or find meaning in life.

By using this phrase as a title, the film probably intends to reflect the central theme of the song and, by extension, of Springsteen’s work: the search for meaning or a way out during a difficult life with few options, representing the struggle and resistance of human beings in the face of a seemingly predetermined destiny.

The idea of ​​Deliver Me from Nowhere also suggests a search for a better, more meaningful place, something that resonates with Springsteen’s constant references to escape and the desire for change, which are very present in his lyrics.

Written and directed by Scott Cooper, the film chronicles the creation of Springsteen’s sixth album, Nebraska, for many his masterpiece. It also stars Jeremy Strong (from Succession) as Springsteen’s mentor and manager, Jon Landau, and features Stephen Graham (from Adolescence) in the controversial role of Bruce’s father, Douglas, with whom the musician had a troubled relationship, marked by trauma and aggression.

The basis of the script, which was approved by Bruce himself, is the 2023 book written by the musician’s friend, Warren Zanes. In it, Zanes details all the behind-the-scenes events of the Nebraska album and, more importantly, what Springsteen’s spirit was like in that period of 1982. That year, Bruce was already famous and had just completed a successful tour with the album The River (1980), and this recording is considered a milestone in his legacy.

The film does not yet have a confirmed release date, but it will be released by the end of the year, of course, with an eye on the Oscar and other awards. Jeremy White Allen is today one of the most respected and awarded actors, thanks to the mega success of the series The Bear. Even without having seen the trailer (which will certainly start circulating soon), I already know that he is fine (even if he looks more like Dylan than Springsteen). What about you? Are you betting on success or failure?

The release of this biography of Springsteen will certainly generate expectations, both among the singer’s fans and among film admirers. If the film manages to capture the essence of the soul of “The Boss” and translate the energy of his music, it could be another success in the history of Hollywood musical biopics. The big question is: will Jeremy White Allen be able to balance the reverence for the icon that Springsteen represents with his own interpretation of the character? Time will tell, but the bet is made. And, regardless of the result, the journey to the Oscar is already guaranteed.

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