This is a great example of 'big small' story, a movie in which virtually nothing happens... yet everything happens. It's all about perspective. Compared to gargantuan franchise movies costing $200M or more, Nebraska has nothing much going on. But in the context of Woody's life, death around the corner, this trip with his son in a quixotic attempt to receive external validation that he - Woody - is a 'winner' is, existentially, about as big as it gets. Who are you? What have you done with your life? What regrets do you have? What can you do with your time left on this Earth? Think about those questions. I mean... really THINK about them. Those are real goddammed big questions. And David gets swept up in them as he travels back in time with his father. I love the ending of this script, how David manages to salvage the situation, choosing to feed his father's delusions, offering him one final chance to feel like a king as they drive through Woody's home town, Woody at the wheel of his semi-new truck, and then the exchange outside of town, Woody turning the wheel over to David. It's funny, surprising, touching, and deeply human. Any other fans of Nebraska out there? A great 'big small' movie.

Woody's a great example of a comic non-hero, in the sense of Steve Kaplan (lots of youtube videos and his tools of comedy book). Woody's also a good example of a "straight man" to his wife, Kate, who is hilarious.

David, would you mind going a bit more into what attributes a 'comic non-hero' has / is about per Kaplan? Only if you have time and inclination. Would be nice to have that content for the archives.

I definitely have the inclination - I drove over an hour each way just to get Steve Kaplan to autograph my copy of his book:-) Kaplan's idea of the non-hero (which he also called the "comic equation" - for those mathematically inclined) is this: "An ordinary person struggling against insurmountable odds without the skills or tools to win, yet never giving up hope." This is Woody. Woody is an ordinary guy from the midwest who wants to win the sweepstakes, the one literally no one wins because it's a sham. He can't even drive, but he believes he must to get to the sweepstakes office to claim the prize before the deadline. So he starts to walk the 850 miles from Billings Montana to Lincoln Nebraska, never giving up hope. BTW, Nebraska is the rare comedy that also got 6 Academy Award noms, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.

Thanks, David. Sounds like Woody is a classic 'non-hero'. And it sounds like non-hero is a classic underdog figure. I think we should also note another archetype at work here: Road movie. Depart the Ordinary World, enter the 'Extraordinary' World, giving the characters a new perspective on their lives. In this regard, it's arguable that David is the story's Protagonist as he goes through a transformation of sorts in relation to his father. Thanks for that info, David. Non-hero. I'll add that to my mental hopper.