Meet Woody Grant: A Hero To All

Meet Woody Grant: A Hero to All Director Alexander Payne’s 2013 film, Nebraska, makes haste in introducing viewers to the adamant and goal driven senior, Woody Grant (played by Bruce Dern). In a strong, yet simplistic opening scene, viewers are immediately immersed in his trek to become a millionaire. Set in Billings, Montana, the film follows Woody’s hot pursuit of a cash prize offered by a sweepstakes letter he receives in the mail. The letter states that he is entitled to a reward of one-million-dollars in Lincoln, Nebraska. Instead of responding to the letter by mail, Woody takes it upon himself to walk to Nebraska to claim the reward. Despite disapproval from Woody’s wife Kate (played by June Squibb), his youngest son, David (played by Will Forte), decides to take Woody on a road trip to Lincoln. Alexander Payne shares a creative film that makes use of subtle effects, events of misfortune, and a touch of subtext to make
Woody Grant’s story does in fact give viewers an important message to learn from, but it is not directly alluded to. Alexander Payne shows his skill in this by giving certain aspects of the movie meaning. Woody’s wife, Kate, does this well. She condemns him throughout the film for his desire to go to Nebraska. This has a great impact on viewers and can make them wonder if he will change his mind about making the long trip. In an important scene, David drives Woody home after he was held at the police station for trying to walk to Nebraska on the highway. Kate approaches both Woody and David and says “. . . I never knew [Woody] even wanted to be a millionaire. He should have thought about that years ago and worked for it.” Kate is portrayed throughout the movie as a shroud of doubt towards Woody and makes for an excellent example of subtext. The persistent use of imagery by Alexander Payne makes Woody’s role much more meaningful for