Thunder Road (2016 film) explained

Thunder Road
Director:Jim Cummings
Producer:Mark Vashro
Starring:Jim Cummings
Kitty Barshay
William Daubert
Music:Bruce Springsteen
Father Andrew
Cinematography:Drew Daniels
Editing:Sound: ornana
Production Companies:-->
Distributors:--> Vimeo
Runtime:13 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English
Budget:$7,000[1]

Thunder Road is a short comedy-drama film written, directed by, and starring Jim Cummings. Shot in one take, the film depicts a police officer giving a eulogy for his mother. It premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it received positive reviews, winning the Short Film Grand Jury Prize. A feature-length adaptation of the same name was released in 2018, also written, directed by, and starring Cummings.

Synopsis

Police officer Arnaud eulogizes his mother at her funeral by singing and dancing to the Bruce Springsteen song "Thunder Road".

Cast

Production

Cummings wrote the film over two months on his commutes to work at CollegeHumor. The film cost $7,000 to make, of which $2,500 was renting the funeral home.[2] He sold his wedding rings to help fund it.[3] Cummings did not license the song "Thunder Road" prior to its screening at Sundance. Springsteen later viewed the film and enjoyed it, and agreed to license it for online distribution for $1,000.[4]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[5] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[6]

The film was awarded at the Sundance Film Festival with the Short Film Grand Jury Prize, being called "a mini masterpiece of writing, directing and acting".[7] Short of the Week called it "funny, inventive, and thought-provoking" and "the toast of this year’s American festival circuit-",[8] and IndieWire listed it as one of the best short films ever made.[9]

Awards and nominations

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipientResult
Sundance Film FestivalJanuary 28, 2016Short Film Grand Jury PrizeThunder Road
South by SouthwestMarch 15, 2016Jury Prize for Acting[10] Jim Cummings
Los Angeles Film FestivalJune 9, 2016Jury Recognition for Outstanding Performance[11] Jim Cummings
Palms Springs Shorts FestJune 26, 2016Jury Prize for Acting[12] Thunder Road
Atlanta Film FestivalApril 19, 2016Best Narrative Short[13] Thunder Road
HollyShorts Film FestivalAugust 19, 2016Best Narrative Short[14] Thunder Road
Rainier Independent Film FestivalMay 19, 2016Best Short Narrative[15] Thunder Road
ShortList Film FestivalAugust 24, 2016Creators League Prize [16] Thunder Road
ÉCU Film FestivalApril 12, 2016Best Non-European Independent Dramatic Short Film [17] Thunder Road
Provincetown International Film FestivalJune 19, 2016Best Narrative Short [18] Thunder Road

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2016-07-21 . Interview: Jim Cummings Takes Hold on THUNDER ROAD . 2024-02-15 . ScreenAnarchy.
  2. Web site: 2016-07-21 . Interview: Jim Cummings Takes Hold on THUNDER ROAD . 2024-02-15 . ScreenAnarchy.
  3. News: Behind the Video: the Sundance-winning short 'Thunder Road'. The Vimeo Blog. Vimeo. July 19, 2016. Durkin. Ian. September 6, 2016.
  4. Web site: Jim Cummings: ‘I spent three months trying to get in touch with Bruce Springsteen’ . 2024-02-16 . Little White Lies . en.
  5. Web site: Thunder Road (2018). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. July 16, 2018.
  6. Web site: Thunder Road Reviews. CBS Interactive. Metacritic. July 16, 2018.
  7. Web site: Sundance Film Festival Awards (2016). IMDb. September 2, 2016.
  8. Web site: Short of the week. Sondhi. Jason. September 6, 2016. Short of the Week. September 6, 2016.
  9. Web site: Film Critics Pick The Best Short Films Ever Made . IndieWire. Ehrlich. David. Penske Business Media. July 25, 2016. September 6, 2016.
  10. Web site: SXSW: Complete List of Winners at the 2016 Film Awards. IndieWire. Penske Business Media. October 10, 2016. March 15, 2016. Indiewire Staff.
  11. Web site: 2016 LA Film Festival Announces Winners and Grant Recipients. Film Independent. October 10, 2016. Alia Quart. Khan. Gina. Pence. June 9, 2016.
  12. Web site: Shortfest Announces 2016 Festival Winners. Palm Springs International Film Society. June 26, 2016. July 16, 2018. Steven. Wilson. Ashley. Patterson. David. Lee.
  13. Web site: 16 Jury Audience Award Winners Announced. Atlanta Film Festival. October 10, 2016. April 18, 2016. Cameron. McAllister.
  14. Web site: 2016 HollyShorts Film Festival Award Winners. HollyShorts Film Festival. July 16, 2018.
  15. Web site: Rainier Film Festival Award Winners 2007-2018. Rainier Independent Film Festival. October 10, 2016.
  16. Web site: Slingshot Mamans and Thunder Road Take Prizes at the Wraps Shortlist Film Festival. TheWrap. August 24, 2016. TheWrap Staff. October 10, 2016.
  17. Web site: Award Winners - ECU 2016. The European Independent Film Festival. October 10, 2016. admin. April 10, 2016.
  18. Web site: Provincetown Film Festival Winners 2016. October 10, 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170328021557/http://www.ptownfilmfest.org/content/provincetown-film-festival-winners-2016. March 28, 2017. Provincetown International Film Festival.