The lack of color is a statement that a film does not need to be vibrant with crazy action and special effects to be visually appealing. It features many beautiful and interesting shots. Some are visuals of the countryside, and others simply show dialogue from unique angles. In some scenes, the way the camera is situated makes it impossible to see who is talking without physically moving your eyes.
Aside from being black-and-white, everything else is modern, showing everything from flat-screen televisions to new cars. This contrast between the lack of color -- which is how a lot of older films are -- and being set in the present day is in itself a statement about one of the main themes of the movie: generational differences.
This is especially apparent in one scene in which the protagonist, David Grant (Will Forte) is talking with his father, Woody Grant (Bruce Dern), in a bar. The son tries to discuss his relationship problems with his father. When David asks what Woody thinks, he cannot give an appropriate response because the nature of relationships is way different between the two generations. David has been dating his girlfriend for a while, and he does not know whether or not to take it to the next level. Woody, on the other hand, got married to his wife without taking time to get to know her. The result has been an unhappy marriage, but because of how society was at the time, the couple never divorced.
The story is ultimately about hope and humanity. The plot is centered around Woody wanting to go to Lincoln, Nebraska because he wants to exchange a letter he received for the million dollars it "promises" him. Everyone else around him knows that it does not guarantee this, but it is a promotional tool to get people to buy magazine subscriptions. However, the story is not so much about whether or not he will get the money as to what motivates him to want it so much. His life has not always been how he wanted it, and he simply hopes for something better. It is also about David coming to this realization and doing something about it.
I give this movie five out of five stars. It is a simple movie, but that's part of the beauty of it. It does not rely on being vibrant to be a good, interesting film. It makes due with what it has, and the result is an enjoyable film experience.
Content: This film has a very light R rating. It has a moderate amount of language, but it only has two F-words, which I have seen in some PG-13 movies. There is also a moderate amount of sexual content. One scene features a deep cut on a man's head being stitched up by a doctor.
For more details on how I rate films, visit http://criticalchristopher.blogspot.com/2014/01/defining-rating-criteria.html
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