An impressive 12-minute long one-take sets the scene in writer/director/actor Jim Cummings’ dark comedy, Thunder Road.
Aside from the impressive technical accomplishment of capturing this mammoth of a monologue, which is performed by Cummings alone, it’s clear from the beginning that this is going to be a very off-kilter viewing experience. Emotionally in tune with the struggles of being both a parent and a child, Cummings creates a bittersweet love letter that speaks to the complexities of family dynamics while keeping the overall tone of the film interesting and unconventional.
Thunder Road is Jim Cummings’ movie, through and through. He plays the fragile protagonist, police officer Jim Arnaud, and when we first meet him, he is delivering a heartfelt tribute to his deceased mother at her funeral. Dressed in his uniform, Jim uses his platform for a cathartic release of his pent-up regret about his past behavior of acting out towards his mother during childhood. He ultimately eulogizes her with an interpretive dance to Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road”, providing a much-needed chuckle after nearly 10-minutes of grief-stricken sobbing.
As if losing his mother wasn’t enough, Jim is also in the midst of a divorce, having issues at work, and struggling to connect with his young daughter, Crystal (Kendal Farr). After all, there is only so much advice a father can give his pre-teen daughter about boys and wearing makeup. Jim’s unrelenting heartbreak is heavy, it seems as if he is never happy and that is a tough thing to sit through for an hour and a half. But Jim is resilient in his quest to give and receive love, which offers a silver lining during his struggle.
Directorial choices like these are what make ‘Thunder Road’ inventive both in front of and behind the lens.
A limited musical score adds to this dark comedy’s overall feeling of unrest. When there is music, it comes from one lone, depressing violin, except for the beautiful sound of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” performed by a string quartet in the film’s final scene. That moment is sure to give anyone chills. This non-use of music is quite unconventional, and some may view it as flat. While there are moments that could have been aided by a more consistent score, the silence further adds focus to Cummings performance as an actor- distraction free.
Directorial choices like these are what make Thunder Road inventive both in front of and behind the lens. Cinematographer Lowell A. Meyer is patient with the long-takes and smooth with the subtle movements, breathing life into every scene.
Based off of and built upon Cummings’ short film of the same name, which won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film festival, the 12-minute long short was quickly adapted into the feature-length film that is playing in theaters today. Thunder Road was also honored with the SXSW 2018 Feature Film Grand Jury Award and was in the top five best-reviewed films at Cannes this year where it premiered internationally.
‘Thunder Road’ is not rated. 92 minutes. Now playing at Laemmle theaters in Glendale, Pasadena, and Santa Monica and available on VOD.
