The AFI Fest got off to a rousing start on Wednesday night (10/22) when Bruce Springsteen took the stage after the screening of writer-director-producer Scott Cooper’s Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (20th Century Studios) and gave a solo mini-concert to a capacity crowd at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Included was a performance of The Boss’ “Land of Hope and Dreams,” which Springsteen not only sang as a tribute to Cooper for the caring work he put into the film but also as a timely political statement. As an intro to the song, Springsteen noted that for some 50 years he’s served as a musical “ambassador” of sorts for the U.S., traveling around the world, hearing and feeling the love that people in other countries have for the principles and the ideals of democracy in America. He asserted that those ideals are worth fighting for, proclaiming “No Kings. The Land of Hopes and Dreams” before strumming on his guitar and bursting into song.
Jeremy Allen White stars as the iconic musician-singer-songwriter in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, which served as the opening night film for the 39th edition of AFI Fest. The movie traces the musician in 1981 and 1982 on the cusp of global superstardom as he records his landmark album “Nebraska” and struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.
Based on Warren Zanes’ book “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” the film chronicles the genesis of “Nebraska.” Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom, the album marked a pivotal time in his life and is considered one of his most enduring works—a raw, haunted acoustic record populated by lost souls searching for a reason to believe. The film also features Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s long-time confidant and manager, Jon Landau; Paul Walter Hauser as guitar tech Mike Batlan; Stephen Graham as Springsteen’s father, Doug; Odessa Young as love interest, Faye; Gaby Hoffman as Springsteen’s mom, Adele; Marc Maron as audio engineer-producer Chuck Plotkin; David Krumholtz as Columbia executive, Al Teller; and Matthew Anthony Pellicano Jr. who portrayed Springsteen as a youngster.
Prior to the screening, Cooper came on stage and shared that when he moved to Los Angeles, the first film he saw was Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction at the Chinese Theatre. That experience as a moviegoer crystallized his aspiration to be a filmmaker. Fast forward to today and Cooper affirmed that it’s a profound privilege to have Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere selected to open AFI Fest at this historic venue. Among those joining Cooper on stage for his opening night remarks were Springsteen, Landau, White, Strong, Young, Maron, Pellicano and Zanes. Also noteworthy, said AFI president and CEO Bob Gazzale in his welcoming remarks, is that the film’s cinematographer, Masanobu Takayanagi (who was also on hand), is a graduate of the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory.
Cooper talked of his friendship with and deep gratitude for Springsteen. Towards the end of production on the film, Cooper and his family lost their home to the devastating wildfires in Pacific Palisades. Shedding a few tears, the director related that Springsteen immediately made his home in Los Angeles available, helping the Cooper family get back on its feet.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere was produced by Cooper, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Eric Robinson, and Scott Stuber. Executive producing were Tracey Landon, Jon Vein, and Zanes. The film will be released in theaters on Friday (10/24).
