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As a Jersey girl, I want to see "the Bruce movie" - the day after it came out. (It's streaming now). A total super fan of The Boss, our friend Kevin decided to get a bunch of people - a good crowd of over 30, to see it opening weekend, at a theater down the shore near where Bruce lives. Because where else would we see it?
And Kevin made it an event. We had a tailgate for it. Yes, we had a tailgate at a movie theater parking lot. Kevin's daughter, who is also a fan, because his reach spans generations, made a meme out of the tailgating pic.
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| The Casbah Club on NJ and friends seeing "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere." Photo and caption courtesy Meghan Lang |
We filled up the last three rows of the theater, sunk back into our seats and enjoyed the story, visions and locations cast onto the big screen.
We listened to the music, searched back in the corner our minds for memories the music brought and tried to process the emotion that Bruce was sharing with us.
We also probably got distracted from the plot because we were focusing on on the locations. As all of us were from Jersey, and all of us had been to Asbury Park (you're not true Jersey if you haven't been there to at least stroll the boardwalk, play pinball or see a concert at the Stone Pony), we were mesmerized at the portrayal of "down the shore" where everything is indeed all right.
Most true Bruce fans are probably already familiar with the Nebraska album and what is was all about. For those who aren't, the movie does a great job of portraying the difficulties and sadness this tortured artist went through at this point in his life.
It tells the story well, and since Bruce was involved, it's the story he wants to tell. Jeremy Allen White had a strong performance as Bruce; at some points in the movie when I was totally engaged in it it's as if I was watching the Boss himself.
However, for people not familiar with the album Nebraska, and who might expect to hear more of Bruce's poppy, upbeat music in this movie, there is not much of it. There are some clips of concerts, but the music and the movie stay true to this period of his life. I admire Bruce, he always tries to connect with the common man, as those were his roots, and in this movie he goes deeply personal about his struggles, struggles so many people can relate to.
The movie was well-shot, the scenes came at a good pace, the casting was superb and the story unfolded with a start and an ending. If you are not a Bruce fan, you might also enjoy this movie just as a story of grief, sadness, hope and resilience. With a great soundtrack.
Here's what some Jersey Bruce fans thought of the movie:
"Director Scott Cooper takes a unique approach to making a Springsteen biopic focusing on one of the darker periods of Bruce's life. The scenes with his dad elicited a strong emotion and expressed an openness of Springsteen to share both the highs and lows of this complicated relationship.
"You don't have to be a big Bruce fan to enjoy Deliver Me from Nowhere. The movie gives us a major iconic figure wrestling honestly with depression, identity and meaning. I walked out of the theater feeling empathy for Springsteen as I never have before and that depression definitely does not discriminate. As for Jeremy Allen White's performance, I felt he transformed into Bruce Springsteen right in front of me as I watched this film. A film worth seeing even if you are not a Jersey Girl! - Carmella D'Amico
"The movie revealed a raw and real part of Springsteen's life. If I hadn't done my research I would have gone in expecting something along the lines of other rock star based movies - early days, tough times, climbing the billboard charts, stardom. I was drawn in by Bruce's emotional response to recalling years of fear and abuse and how it played into his song writing. If the movie description was 'A musician delves into memories of childhood abuse, falls into depression, creates music that reflects his somberness but ultimately learns how to work through his pain," maybe some Bruce fans would skip it. This fan wouldn't." - Nancy Cerza
Deliver Me From Nowhere is streaming on Disney +, Hulu and other platforms as of January 23, 2026.