What the new Springsteen biopic taught me

To talk about my experiences with the Bruce Springsteen biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, I think I first need to talk about my own experiences with Springsteen.

I was born and raised in North Queensland, Australia – the other side of the world from New Jersey. But I knew Springsteen before Born in the USA, which was a little uncommon in Australia at the time.

My dad, sister, and I used to go water skiing once a month with some other family friends. One of these friends, I apparently, off my own bat, would refer to as Uncle Bill, even though we were not related. Uncle Bill had traveled to the US some years beforehand and heard some emerging artists, including the Eagles and Springsteen.

I first heard Born to Run at one of those water skiing trips, and I was hooked.

By the time Born in the USA came out, I was already hooked on the Boss. For some reason, however, it was my sister who got given Born in the USA on cassette for Christmas, not me, so like every good brother, I regularly stole it.

A year or two down the track, I landed a part-time job while I was at school. The first thing I purchased with my own money was the Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live 1975-85 cassette box set. I played those tapes so much, I’m surprised they didn’t break. The opening track was my favorite version of Thunder Road, Racing in the Street was perfect for a young gearhead like me, and it was my introduction to Woody Guthrie when I heard Springsteen’s cover of This Land is Your Land.

But it was the songs from the Nebraska album that resonated with me the most. When I finally bought the CD, it was rarely far from my rotation of music. I felt something with that music, I felt like it understood me and fit my mood.

This brings us to Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. This is not a story of Bruce moving through learning how to play a guitar, his first break, up to modern day. There are obviously flashbacks to his childhood, but the bulk of the movie revolves around his time post The River tour as he sets about writing a new album.

The album of focus was Nebraska, a rough recording made in his bedroom. It contained songs like the title song, about a boyfriend and girlfriend traveling the country killing people. Then there’s Johnny 99, a song about a man asking for the death penalty for his crimes.

The movie gives us an insight into his inspiration for some of the songs, drawn from his childhood, and various memories with his father. But beyond the music is his struggles with depression. How he doubted himself and his ability to be in a healthy relationship. The more I saw his behaviors, the more I associated them with my own experiences.

I was diagnosed with depression when I was 34, but looking back, I’d say I was likely depressed decades before then, possibly back to when a friend died when I was 16. All the years I listened to the songs on Nebraska, it felt natural to me, and then seeing what Springsteen was dealing with at the time made me understand why.

Jeremy Allen White delivers a believable performance as the Boss, but Jeremy Strong’s Jon Landau is a little flat. But the associated soundtrack, scenery, and supporting actors bring the movie home.

The story of Deliver Me from Nowhere is interesting for those who know Springsteen's music. You’ll find yourself singing along and intrigued by the story. I found myself reflecting on the songs, now knowing how they came about.

If you’re not a die-hard fan, it may be a hard watch, but it still has a relevant message about depression. Who it can affect, what they can still achieve, and how much treatment benefits people.