Multitalented writer/director/star Jim Cummings gives a jaw-dropping performance filled with bursts of offbeat humor and unexpected pathos as a small-town police officer struggling to process the death of his mother, an impending divorce, and his own unrecognized cluelessness. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival.

As Thunder Road opens, we meet Officer Jim Arnaud, preparing to address the mourners at his beloved mother’s memorial service. However, his eulogy doesn’t go quite as rehearsed. He’s continually on the verge of tears, of course, but also keeps making bizarre, confessional digressions, and, worst of all, his 10-year-old daughter’s pink boombox won’t play his mother’s favorite Springsteen song. This scene sets the tone for the narrative that follows—a singular blend of cringe-inducing laughs punctuated by moments of profound sentiment. Emotionally raw following the funeral, Officer Arnaud must deal with a whole series of real-world problems, including his daughter’s inappropriate school behavior, an impending divorce and custody battle, what to do with his mother’s dance studio, and a viral video that always seems to surface just at the wrong moment. As he struggles through these challenges, Arnaud does his best to remain cheerful, always striving for the positive, even when his own hapless antics cause him to falter. In this emotional and offbeat feature-length adaptation of his award-winning short film, director and star Jim Cummings gives a captivating performance, infusing both his flawed character and the film with a deep, abiding pathos.

Exclusive for Art House Theater Day, there will be a 15 minute interview with writer/director/star Jim Cummings after the film.