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Thunder Road

Tragicomic festival fave

A Texas policeman deals with the death of his mother, his divorce, the loss of custody of his daughter and finally his job by having a sometimes moving, frequently hilarious nervous breakdown. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion. But, you know, an intentional one.

It’s not entirely clear what writer/director/star Jim Cummings is trying to do in this maniacal, innovative and engaging character study, but even with the thin plot and a few gaping potholes, he gets points for making precisely the movie he wanted to make.

(92 min)