Bob Nelson’s movie ‘Nebraska’ nominated for six Academy Awards

Taken from Thursday’s edition of The Dori Monson Show.

I was so excited Thursday morning. Ordinarily, I couldn’t care less about the Oscar nominations. This year was an entirely different story. That’s because a friend of mine who I’ve played basketball with for 25 years was nominated. He’s been working as a writer his whole life and now at age 57 he gets nominated.

Bob Nelson is best known in the Seattle area from his days on “Almost Live.” Now as of today he is Oscar-nominated screenwriter Bob Nelson.

“I appreciate that, the local kid” said Nelson, “because when I see the names of Woody Allen and Spike Jonze and David O. Russell, it looks like an Onion headline of those three and ‘area man.'”

Your life will never be the same. You’re an Oscar-nominated screenwriter now. Every door is going to open. You’re a big-time guy now. I’m hoping that you will storyboard a documentary about aging basketball players who hold on way too long.

“That’s my next movie I think,” said Bob. “Like ‘Nebraska’ I used a lot of stuff from real life […] It’s the only reason I’m still playing basketball at 57, is so that I can document what a foolhardy thing it is to do.”

About 10 years ago, you told me the story of this screenplay you were writing. I kind of shrugged and said, ‘OK, sounds OK Bob.’ And then now not only do you get nominated, but also “Nebraska” gets nominated for Best Picture.

“Nebraska” was nominated for six awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Screenplay.

“All of them are great,” said Nelson of the nominations. “Six was not expected, and I was certainly on the bubble.”

“I’m so happy for everybody involved in this film. I also think about the crew out there shooting in the freezing weather in Montana,” said Nelson. “All of those people. I’m just so happy for them.”

I saw the movie over my Christmas break. It is just the sweetest movie and you were so fortunate that Alexander Payne fell in love with your script because that’s how it made and got all this success.

“Yeah it’s a good thing Alexander didn’t shrug,” said Nelson. “When it was first optioned, it was going to be a $2 million indie movie and maybe show at Sundance and festivals like that. When Alexander became involved it all of a sudden made it a $13 million movie.

“It really adds to the quality. He was able to scout locations and do the auditions there for weeks just to get the right people. We wouldn’t be talking if we’d shot the original version. It would have just gone to a festival and DVD and not really talked about. That’s all the Alexander Payne legacy we’re riding on.”

It is just a fantastic movie that I encourage everyone to go see.

Watch the trailer:

Taken from Thursday’s edition of The Dori Monson Show.

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