Officer Jim Arnaud has been having a rough go of it as of late. He lost his mother, his job, and custody of his daughter Crystal. These personal tragedies and the affect they have on Jim make up the plot of Thunder Road, which is written and directed by its star, Jim Cummings. Inspired by the hit song by Bruce Springsteen (which is used to hilarious effect in the film’s opening scene), Thunder Road is a dark yet often humorous tale of a decent man in the midst of a breakdown, and a heartening glimpse at the lives of what some may say are the “forgotten” people of this country.
Cummings wrote and adapted the film from his 2016 short of the same time, which garnered not only critical acclaim but won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. As for the feature adaptation, it won the top prize at SXSW this year and will arrive next month. John Fink said in his review, “The film is wholly original, taking on issues of the day from parental rights to mental illness and later, the opioid crisis.”
See the trailer below.
Based on the Sundance-Winning short film, Thunder Road follows a Texan police officer who loses his mother, custody of his daughter, and eventually his job. Inspired by one of the greatest songs ever written, we see officer Jim Arnaud apply this lullaby of his Mother’s to his life during his ongoing and often hilarious nervous breakdown.
Thunder Road opens in October.