Audiences are thrown right into Springsteen’s fame following his 1980-1981 "The River Tour." However, the film showcases a much quieter time of his life than the stardom typically associated with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. Springsteen withdraws himself from the spotlight and moves into a home in Colts Neck, New Jersey where he looked inwards to create his 1982 album "Nebraska", mostly from inside his bedroom. 

The film came to life after musician and writer Warren Zanes released his 2023 book "Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska". Zanes and filmmaker Scott Cooper approached Springsteen with the idea.

Springsteen was involved with the making of the film and told Spotify Singles that the first person he mentioned for the lead was White because of his performance of his character’s internal life in FX’s "The Bear".

The pair met a few months before shooting the film and developed a relationship throughout the process. Springsteen sent White a 1955 Gibson J200 guitar, model close to the guitar he used on the "Nebraska" record, which is what Allen White used to learn the instrument for the film. 

White donned brown contacts to deliver a striking performance as the rock legend. He is no stranger to emotional roles as he portrayed mental illness for characters in recent projects, "The Iron Claw", "The Bear" and "Shameless".

The Emmy award-winner’s raw and vulnerable performance commands praise. He accurately portrays the singer’s battles with mental health and resurfaced trauma as well as complicated relationships with the world around him and himself. 

Towards the end of the movie, after Springsteen’s struggles with his mental health hit their peak and he was urged to seek professional help, he sits down with a therapist. Upon being asked to share why he is there, he first lets out a chuckle, then another, then he slowly unravels from the composure he struggled throughout the film to keep, and lets out the first tears seen on screen, finally beginning to sob. 

Alongside Springsteen throughout the film is his manager, Jon Landau, portrayed by Jeremy Strong. Landau faces the challenge of how and when to help Springsteen throughout his mental turmoil. Strong’s acting is also a highlight of the film as he works with White to showcase the real-life friendship between Springsteen and Landau. 

As his manager, Landau wanted to do what was best for Springsteen’s career but as his friend, he did what was best for Springsteen, making tough decisions like allowing the "Nebraska" album to be released with no press, no tour and no singles. As well as this, Landau stood by Springsteen as he chose to leave tracks of "Nebraska" as raw home demos, despite the pair being heavily advised not to. 

Overall, the film did its best to remain accurate to Springsteen’s life, but it delved a bit into fiction with the character of Faye Romano, who represented a compilation of girlfriends the musician had at the time. 

After an emotional 120 minutes, fans can leave theaters with the sense of hope that Springsteen gained, as he seems to find the light at the end of the tunnel in a new city of Los Angeles, after putting his deepest emotions into his work with "Nebraska" and releasing it into the world on his own terms, despite the challenges he faced with doing so.

Along with the film’s release, Springsteen put out an extended version of "Nebraska", featuring outtakes and some versions of songs recorded with a band.