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.
| Thunder Road | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jim Cummings |
| Written by | Jim Cummings |
| Produced by | Mark Vashro |
| Starring | Jim Cummings Kitty Barshay William Daubert |
| Cinematography | Drew Daniels |
| Edited by | Sound: ornana |
| Music by | Bruce Springsteen Father Andrew |
| Distributed by | Vimeo |
Release date |
|
Running time | 13 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7,000[1] |
Synopsis
editPolice officer Arnaud eulogizes his mother at her funeral by singing and dancing to the Bruce Springsteen song "Thunder Road".
Cast
edit- Jim Cummings as Jim Arnaud
- Kitty Barshay as Funeral Director
- Francesca Biasiolo as Crystal
- Melissa Papel as Carissa
- William Daubert as Police Chief
Production
editCummings 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
editOn 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
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sundance Film Festival | January 28, 2016 | Short Film Grand Jury Prize | Thunder Road | Won |
| South by Southwest | March 15, 2016 | Jury Prize for Acting[10] | Jim Cummings | Won |
| Los Angeles Film Festival | June 9, 2016 | Jury Recognition for Outstanding Performance[11] | Jim Cummings | Won |
| Palms Springs Shorts Fest | June 26, 2016 | Jury Prize for Acting[12] | Thunder Road | Won |
| Atlanta Film Festival | April 19, 2016 | Best Narrative Short[13] | Thunder Road | Won |
| HollyShorts Film Festival | August 19, 2016 | Best Narrative Short[14] | Thunder Road | Won |
| Rainier Independent Film Festival | May 19, 2016 | Best Short Narrative[15] | Thunder Road | Won |
| ShortList Film Festival | August 24, 2016 | Creators League Prize [16] | Thunder Road | Won |
| ÉCU Film Festival | April 12, 2016 | Best Non-European Independent Dramatic Short Film [17] | Thunder Road | Won |
| Provincetown International Film Festival | June 19, 2016 | Best Narrative Short [18] | Thunder Road | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Interview: Jim Cummings Takes Hold on THUNDER ROAD". ScreenAnarchy. 2016-07-21. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Interview: Jim Cummings Takes Hold on THUNDER ROAD". ScreenAnarchy. 2016-07-21. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Durkin, Ian (July 19, 2016). "Behind the Video: the Sundance-winning short 'Thunder Road'". The Vimeo Blog. Vimeo. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
- ^ "Jim Cummings: 'I spent three months trying to get in touch with Bruce Springsteen'". Little White Lies. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "Thunder Road (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ "Thunder Road Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ "Sundance Film Festival Awards (2016)". IMDb. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
- ^ Sondhi, Jason (September 6, 2016). "Short of the week". Short of the Week. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
- ^ Ehrlich, David (July 25, 2016). "Film Critics Pick The Best Short Films Ever Made". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
- ^ Indiewire Staff (March 15, 2016). "SXSW: Complete List of Winners at the 2016 Film Awards". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Khan, Alia Quart; Pence, Gina (June 9, 2016). "2016 LA Film Festival Announces Winners and Grant Recipients". Film Independent. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ Wilson, Steven; Patterson, Ashley; Lee, David (June 26, 2016). "Shortfest Announces 2016 Festival Winners". Palm Springs International Film Society. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ McAllister, Cameron (April 18, 2016). "16 Jury Audience Award Winners Announced". Atlanta Film Festival. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ "2016 HollyShorts Film Festival Award Winners". HollyShorts Film Festival. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ "Rainier Film Festival Award Winners 2007-2018". Rainier Independent Film Festival. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ TheWrap Staff (August 24, 2016). "Slingshot Mamans and Thunder Road Take Prizes at the Wraps Shortlist Film Festival". TheWrap. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ admin (April 10, 2016). "Award Winners - ECU 2016". The European Independent Film Festival. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ "Provincetown Film Festival Winners 2016". Provincetown International Film Festival. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
