Thunder Road

Having seen Jim Cummings' The Wolf of Snow Hollow only recently which left me super impressed, I figured I might as well check out his breakthrough feature. And now that I've seen it, I have to say that he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting & promising talents working in the industry today. And Thunder Road is a brilliant showcase of his prowess as a writer, director & actor.

Written, directed, composed & co-edited by Cummings who also plays the lead in this picture, this feature film serves as an extension of his 2016 short of the same name and opens with an unbroken 12-mins long scene of a police officer giving a eulogy for his mother which immediately sets the mood & tone of the rest of the story which follows our protagonist as he suffers a personal meltdown.

The real highlight of this film is the way it balances & blends elements of flat-out comedy & poignant drama in the same setup, at times in the same exact moment. It's not an easy thing to pull off, for it looks rather absurd when it goes wrong but Cummings not only makes it all work perfectly, he truly revels in those scenes. His live wire input in front of the camera is just as impressive as his solid effort behind it.

Overall, Thunder Road is a sharp, slick & side-splitting indie that brims with heart & honesty, and makes for an awkward yet effective blend of heartbreak & hilarity. Led by Jim Cummings' superb direction, smart writing & spectacular performance and also assisted by its breezy pace, fluid camerawork & neat editing, the film is a roller-coaster ride that's simultaneously amusing & heartrending, and is one indie gem you should definitely check out.

THUNDER ROAD begins at a funeral. Actor/director/writer Jim Cummings plays Officer Jim, a cop who comes to the front of the church to eulogize his mother. This scene is one of the most amazing and unexpected scenes I've ever watched. In a few minutes, Officer Jim veers wildy from moments of light humor while recollecting his mom, to unstoppable tears, to deeply inappropriate dancing to, frankly, a total, emotional breakdown unlike any you've seen. This guy just looses his cool, but in a way that feels unique and organic. He's all over the place, and we laugh and then we're just appalled for him. It feels real and specific and is very moving and yet uncomfortably laughable at the same time. I've not seen anything quite like it. (Apparently, this scene was originally a short film Cummings made and used to scrounge up enough funding to stretch this character's experiences into a feature film.)

The scene is probably the best thing in the movie, as we move out of the church and spend more time with Jim and, in particular, his young daughter. The girl's mother is a mess...Jim cares for her and is deeply angry at her at the same time. In fact, Jim is subject to fits of rage. He is clearly carrying around a lot of grief and confusion, and he doesn't really have an outlet or anyone to "talk to" about it. He's a proud man who doesn't want to admit he's hurting. His temper is sometimes comical and sometimes terrifying. He is, in short, a mess. But you've never seen a character quite like this or a mess quite like it either. Cummings, who is not necessarily the most gifted actor ever, has a quality about him that I've not really seen in another "star." We can laugh with him and at him, and be infuriated by him yet root for him deeply. His brand of "messed-up-ness" is singular and we feel like we're seeing a real person break down.

But, despite the mess that Jim has become, the result of the movie (and it's string of odd incidents) is a feeling of hope and uplift. Life is never going to be perfect, far from it...but perhaps Jim learns to appreciate the little joys and victories it brings. We suspect he'll always be a bit of a mess, but we also see that he might be pulling his act together at least a little.

The film will be off-putting to some. It's low budget, and that often shows. It swings wildly in tone, often within scenes. It's tough to describe the emotional impact (is it a comedy with some drama, or a drama with some comedy, or is it even a drama that doesn't realize how silly much of it is?). Cummings has made one other film (THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW) that also plays around with similar themes of anger and inchoate reaching for manly self-improvement. If you can manage it, I'd suggest a mini-film festival, with THUNDER ROAD first and then SNOW HOLLOW. While the film(s) are far from perfect, the best thing I can say is that I still can't wait to see what Cummings comes up with next. Unique!

(PS: If you have the blu ray, watch the extras about how the film was funded. Crazy stuff!)

To be honest I never heard of Jim Cummings before, not as an actor nor as a writer, nor as a director, but after watching Thunder Road I will remember him in the future. This movie is a strange mixture of drama and comedy. You never completely know if it is sadness or laughter they were looking for and that's all credit to the excellent acting of Jim Cummings. I never saw a grown man crying so much in a movie and still be funny due to his facial expressions whilst crying. I truly enjoyed Thunder Road and I'm sure plenty of others will do also. An easy to watch story, with mixed emotions, but in the end better than I thought it would be.

I looked up this movie for one reason, only a day before I had watched Jocelyn DeBoer in "Greener Grass", the first I have seen of her, and was totally taken by how good she was in that one. So I naturally wondered how she would be in this one. It turns out her role as the estranged wife of officer Arnaud is not a very large one so she doesn't really stand out in this one.

"Thunder Road" is the brainchild of Jim Cummings who wrote, directed, and stars as Austin Texas police officer Jim Arnaud. As other reviewers have said the various scenes don't always connect into a broader story, the main feature is the bipolar nature of officer Arnaud. At times he will be calm and professional then some small thing will trigger him and he will become totally emotional and out of control. While this provides some interest by the end of the movie it has gotten old.

For me the best part of the movie was the character played by Kendal Farr, as the 9-yr-old daughter Crystal Arnaud. She is very cute and her acting is always spot on for the situation.

I found this to be an interesting take on mental illness but some of the extended screaming was hard to take, the "mute" button came in handy. I rate it as a mostly marginal movie, interesting to some but not to most general audiences.

I watched it streaming from Amazon via Roku.

If you have read the other reviews, then you will know that this movie is being judged for all the wrong reasons. Jim Cummings put his heart and soul into this film and because it is listed as a comedy and a drama, some have decided to deride this film because of it. It is what most would call a Black Comedy. I saw the official trailer for it, and anyone that saw the trailer would know that this is more drama/tragedy with dark comedic elements, but there are pedants here in internet land that wish to harp on about this film not being properly categorized. Get over it and watch the movie, because it is brilliant! If you have ever experienced loss, then you will connect to the main character's myriad emotions. Jim Cummings does an excellent job as the beleaguered protagonist, and the film moves along at a stride that fits his circumstance, culminating in a third act that is a bit surprising, but fitting. I also loved Macon Blair (Blue Ruin), as Crystal's teacher. Independent films are not for everybody, and many of them are poorly executed, cast, or directed, but Thunder Road is the reason why I watch them, because, otherwise, all we would be presented with are big studio, unoriginal bombastic gunfight and explosion filled sensory overload. I like those movies too, but sometimes, it is a treasure to see a finely crafted and emotional character study.