THUNDER ROAD
A young police officer’s escalating struggles reach a breaking point in this grim yet awkwardly endearing character study effortlessly adapted from the Sundance grand-prize winning short of the same name.
Officer Arnaud loved his mom and all he wants is to give a meaningful eulogy on a terrible day. In a tour-de-force opening sequence handled in a single harrowing shot, Arnaud stumbles through his remarks with an increasing frustration, spilling out grief in a public display of psychological self-harm. Culminating in a failed attempt to dance to the titular Bruce Springsteen song, he appears to be suffering a nervous break, one that will haunt him in the coming days. A single parent alienated from both his ex-wife and his own siblings, Arnaud’s frequent attempts to solve his life’s problems cause trouble everywhere he goes, as his lack of self-control and inner rage at the hand life has dealt him betray him at each turn, digging him deeper and deeper into a black pit of despair that seems to know no bottom. Filmmaker Jim Cummings proves himself a triple threat— directing, writing, and starring in a remarkable feature debut. Laying bare a raw and risky vulnerability uncommon in modern portraits of male toxicity, Cummings demonstrates a powerful command of character, performance, and storytelling, achieving a rare balance of heartbreak and hilarity that defines the American experience.
CAST: Jim Cummings, Kendal Farr, Nican Robinson, Macon Blair
In Competition: First Feature Award
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Screening includes:
Lizzy Jo, who still lives with mom at age 45, battles her loneliness and boredom on her lunch break by robbing banks in the guise of a cowboy