Thunder Road (2018) | Film Review

The beautiful aspect of independent films are those little gems you occasionally encounter by taking a chance on a new voice. Sitting back in your seat, blissfully unaware of what is to come. Then, a scene stirs a chord in you, bringing you shockingly to life. Suddenly you are completely upright, popcorn on the floor, gazing at a newfound talent capturing a moment on the screen in a profound way. When it hits, you know it. This will be the film – the scene! – you tell your friends, readers, and listeners about. And this happens in the first 10 minutes of Thunder Road.

We open at the funeral for Officer Jim Arnaud’s mother. Jim (Jim Cummings), a slender man with a handsome face and a well-groomed 70s mustache, has begun delivering his mother’s eulogy. As he attempts to do so, a wave of conflicted emotions washes over him. For the next 10 uncut minutes, Jim bounces between inner turmoil, anger, guilt, with more than a few uncomfortable moments of comedy gold. As he frustratingly fails to play Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” on his daughter’s pink boombox, that moment described above hits hard.

As we continue in writer-director-star Jim Cumming’s feature-length adaptation of his own short film, Officer Jim is at a crossroads. Like so many of us, losing a parent creates a rift difficult to come to terms with. As he struggles with her loss, he also begins to understand that he might not be the best father nor cop out there. In fact, perhaps he’s not meant for law enforcement at all. Jim forges on, fighting for custody of his daughter and to improve his position in life, all while attempting to get a grip on the feelings of immense anger and sadness that seem to control his world.

Refusing to fall into one central category, Thunder Road is a head-scratcher of an anomaly. Every scene in the film is laced with a genuine honesty that makes it difficult to pigeonhole. We root for Jim, roll our eyes with him, chastise him, and ultimately sympathize with him. Often in the same scene. His family and friends, especially his forever understanding partner Nate (Nican Robinson), relate to Jim’s plight, even if everyone kind of knows he’s a bit of a loon.

Thunder Road casts aside standard screenplay structure to deliver a human experience, rollicking through this section of Jim’s life as it would occur in our everyday world. Each singular aspect of the film and its ability to connect with audiences rests in the hands of Jim Cummings (no, NOT Winnie the Pooh’s voice), and while the writing and direction are tight and creative in parts, it is what Cummings does on screen that sells the entirety of the premise.

As an indie filmmaker, Cummings knows this is his shot, his chance for a lasting impression with audiences and film execs alike. And while most actors would focus strictly on a redemptive arc where their character is a victim of misfortune, Cummings commits to the cluster of a life the narcissistic Officer Jim has molded. And while that first 10 minutes are enough for any actor’s highlight reel, Cummings carries that depth and levity until the touching conclusion.

Warmth and uncomfortable comedy rarely align this sharply as Jim Cummings utilizes a level of confident versatility reminiscent of early Tom Hanks. It’s that same notion of swinging for the fences, leaving every ounce of sheer emotion on the screen, nothing left behind or pulled up short. Cummings exposes himself, emotionally and physically, completely handing himself over to his role. The term is far overused in film criticism, but Cummings gives one hell of a brave performance.

I cannot recommend this one enough. Far too many gems like these get swept up and lost in the shuffle, and Jim Cumming’s talent and commitment here deserves to find an audience. Not only was it a touching find in the indie world, Thunder Road is also one of the best films of the year.

*Editor’s note: Listen to our exclusive interview with director and star Jim Cummings as he discusses the challenges in creating and releasing Thunder Road