Pick of the week: “Nebraska“ — My full review is here.  Writer-director Alexander Payne gazes his sharp but empathetic eye homeward in this comedy-drama about a cantankerous old man (Bruce Dern) whose quest to claim a phony sweepstakes award brings him through his old hometown. Will Forte is the perfect foil as his sweet, estranged son, and the film is a nuanced portrait of old age and small-town life, devoid of cliche but not meaning.

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