Short of the Day
A film that keeps winning awards, and deservedly-so.
If you follow short films at all, then likely you already know about Thunder Road from writer-director-actor-performer Jim Cummings, and probably because the story about the film is almost as interesting as the film itself.
In a nutshell, Thunder Road is about Jimmy Arnaud, a peace officer who while attending his mother’s funeral caps off his awkward eulogy with an even more-awkward, fully-choreographed singalong to mom’s favorite song, the Bruce Springsteen track for which the film is named. Behind-the-scenes, Cummings was facing huge licensing fees for using such a popular song – $50,000 huge – so he wrote The Boss an open letter which he posted online, a letter that resulted in Cummings being granted the digital rights to the song for free.
But all that drama aside, just a minute or two into Thunder Road – which by the way was shot in one take – and you’ll understand why it’s not just some quirky comedy, but a film of undeniable emotional resonance that’s more than worthy of the accolades that have come its way, including a Grand Jury Prize for Best Short at Sundance last year and a recent crowning by NoBudge.com as the Best Film of 2016.
So even if Thunder Road is old news to you, there’s never a bad time to re-watch a great movie, and this is certainly that. If this is the first you’re hearing of Thunder Road, stop what you’re doing right now and for the next 12 minutes and 45 seconds prepare to have your funny bone tickled, your heartstrings strummed, and your tear ducts filled to the brim.
Related Topics: Short Films
