Nebraska is a slow-burning heart-warmer that neatly dodges the cornball bullet of a climactic manly hug.

... its beauty lies in its simplicity.

Forever typecast as nutjobs and con artists, Dern's Woody Grant is a little chubby, a little bewildered, and a lot unkempt. He's grizzled, resigned, and wonderful, and so is the film.

'Nebraska' may not be as biting and manic as 'Sideways' or as graceful and beautifully filmed as 'The Descendants' but it has a life and energy all of its own, one that, much like Woody, is entirely unpredictable.