NEW YORK – NEW YORK (AP) – Jeremy Allen White grew up listening to Bruce Springsteen . He can’t remember a time in his life when he didn’t know about his music. But singing his songs? It wasn’t until White began preparing to play the rock ‘n’ roll legend on “Springsteen: Begle Me from Nowhure” that he even tried.
“I had never really sung anything, never thought Bruce would,” White says. “It was a leap of faith that we all took.”
A musical biopic has been created. “Provide Me From Nowhere” ignored all of that. The film, written and directed by Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart,” “Black Mass”), eschews the standard lifetime, hit-game approach and instead focuses on a small part of Springsteen’s fabled life: the making of his 1982 album “Nebraska.”
The album, a minimalist masterpiece recorded in four tracks in Springsteen’s bedroom in Colt’s Neck, New Jersey, doesn’t use anything like a glossy big-screen jukebox. “Get Me Out of Nowhere,” instead, focuses more on Springsteen’s soul. For the role, Cooper turned to what he considers one of the best actors of his generation — even though he had no singing experience.
“I remember early on talking to Scott about the project and being really excited to do it with him, but also telling him, ‘Hey, I don’t know how to play guitar, and I’ve never really sung before. Can we figure this out together?’” White recalls. “But Scott had faith. And Bruce had faith. And we trusted each other.”
“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” which 20th Century Studios will release in theaters on Oct. 24, is the first film based on Springsteen’s life. It was made with Springsteen’s involvement; he contributed to the script, the casting, and visited the set for several days. It’s also the first leading film role for White, the 34-year-old Emmy-winning star of “The Bear,” who sings all of the songs in the film.
“I knew he had two qualities that really epitomized Bruce: humility and swagger,” Scott says. “And they don’t teach Swagger at Julliard. You either have it or you don’t. I was never worried. He’s sensational.”
“Provide Me From Nowhere,” based on the 2023 book by Warren Zanes, co-stars Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau, Springsteen’s longtime manager and record producer. Landau was also involved with the project from its inception.
“I knew this was the first time Bruce had handed the wheel to anyone to tell a story of his own,” Cooper says. “They were never directors in any way, but they were always there when I had a question. Of course, when you’re Jeremy Allen White and you’re shown Bruce Springsteen, it’s a whole different story.”
For White, Springsteen was a great resource in a film that sought an authentic interior. “Nebraska” was a significant departure for Springsteen. Its 10 songs weaved tales of blue-collar workers, woven through Springsteen’s own childhood memories and re-enacted with American storytelling traditions that run from Flannery O’Connor to Woody Guthrie. Springsteen intended to record the rough demos later with the E Street Band, but ultimately decided to release the unedited recordings.
White sees film partly as an artistic process.
“Viņš guva iedvesmu no visām šīm vietām, bet viņš īsti nezināja, ko viņš kādu laiku dara ar šo ierakstu,” saka Vaits. “Viņš nezināja, vai tas būs ieraksts. Kā aktieris, cerams, ka jūs visu laiku darāt šāda veida lietas. Šī mākslinieciskā zinātkāre ir kaut kas tāds, ar ko es esmu saistīts.”
Baltais pirmo reizi pavadīja laiku kopā ar Springstīnu Londonā, kur viņš arī apmeklēja koncertu. Aktieris vēlāk runāja ar Patti Scialfa, Springstīna grupas biedru un 34 gadu sievu un roka leģendas draugiem. Pēc tam, kad Springsteen ar jautājumiem ir jautājumi pirms sagatavošanas Ņūdžersijas laikā, Vaits saka, ka šaušanas laikā viņš lielākoties turēja galvu uz leju.
“Brūss ir ļoti žēlīgs,” saka Vaits. “Viņš mēģināja padarīt sevi pēc iespējas mazāku komplektā, bet tas ir ļoti grūti Brūsam Springstīnam.”
Izaicinājums muzikāli bija ievērojams. Lai sagatavotos, Vaits strādāja ar vokālo treneri Ēriku Vetro (kurš arī apmācīja Timotē Chalamet par “pilnīgu nezināmu” ), Ģitāras instruktors JD Simo un mūzikas uzraugs Deivs Kobs. Baltajam pagrieziena punkts pienāca, kad viņi devās uz RCA Nešvilā, lai ierakstītu lielāko daļu dziesmu 48 stundu laikā.
“Es jūtu, ka tur es atradu savu pārliecību,” saka Vaits. “Es esmu šajā ierakstu studijā. Tā ir ļoti liela istaba, jūs pats esat pats. Un man atkal un atkal bija jādzied Brūsa dziesmas. Es atceros, ka jutos tuvāk un tuvāk vīrietim.”
Lai arī “Atlantic City” sākotnēji bija dziesma, kas bija vērsta pretī, tā, kas beidzās ar akordu, bija “mana tēva māja”, viena no Springstīna visvairāk satraucošākajām un vienkāršākajām balādēm.
“Es atceros katru reizi, kad dziedāju šo dziesmu un sapratu to rūpīgāk,” saka Vaits. “Katru reizi iemācoties kaut ko jaunu, tikai katru reizi iedziļinoties.”
“Piegādāt mani no nekurienes” ieradīsies laikā, kad Springsteen būs saīsināja savu kritiku par prezidentu Donaldu TrumpuApvidū Maija koncertā Springstīns auditorijai sacīja: “Amerika, kuru es mīlu, Amerika, par kuru esmu rakstījis, kas 250 gadus ir bijis cerības un brīvības bāksignāls, šobrīd ir korumpēta, nekompetenta un nodevīga administrācija.” Trumps atbildēja, nosaucot Springstīnu par “nevis talantīgu puisi – tikai steidzīgu, nepatīkamu parautu”.
Cooper un White ir daudz atšķirīgs iespaids, salīdzinot ar savu laiku ar Springstīnu.
“Es nezinu, vai daudzi cilvēki ar viņa panākumu līmeni un slavu un slavu, kas ir publiska cilvēka desmitgade pēc desmitgades, katru dienu var palikt tik kontaktā un pieejami un godīgi ar cilvēkiem,” saka Vaits. “Tas, kas viņam bija svarīgs, joprojām ir viņa māksla, jā, bet tā ir viņa ģimene un Patti. Visa viņa morāle ir taisnība rindā – tas, ko es uzskatu par taisnību rindā.”
Says Cooper: “Bruce is not just a musician. He is a symbol of something that is uniquely American. The blue-collar poet. The reluctant moral conscience. I think to make a movie about Bruce is to make a movie about the soul of America. That’s the power of his emotional honesty, and his work is across political lines because he speaks the truth.”
Cooper wasn’t just talking theory. The production of “THE END OF THE FORM OF NOBODY” coincided with several tragedies for the director. His father died the day before shooting began. During the final week of production, he lost his house in the Palisades in a fire in Los Angeles.
“Jeremy and Bruce and a really amazing crew and cast picked me up and carried me through to the finish line,” says Cooper. “When we didn’t have a place to live, Bruce moved my family into his place in Los Angeles. And Jeremy was there during some of my darkest days. My film has a special resonance.”
