Nimrods: Fanboy Wishes and Green Day Dreams

By John Kirk

Rating: B+

I’m a sucker for a quest motif. Give me a story that’s topped by a healthy dose of wish fulfillment, throw in some fandom love in the tradition of Detroit Rock City, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, or Fanboys and I’m a captive dreamer.

Now I can add Nimrods to that company of entertaining films.

When teenage school slacker and Green Day fan Tommy (Mason Thames) gets pranked by his brother Wayne (Keen Ruffalo) into thinking that his band Analog Dogs are opening for Green Day on New Year’s Eve in L.A., a quest is born. Stealing his brother’s used yellow cab, Tommy and his bandmates embark on a cross-country road trip of epic proportions, from Kansas City to California to play alongside their idols.

It’s not like Tommy and his fellow slacker Fred (Kylr Coffman) have many options. Tommy’s dad has passed; mom Jodi (Jenna Fischer) and older brother Wayne are all he has at home. Fred spends most of his time there anyway, indicating that his own home life isn’t that great, so pretty much all these characters have are their dreams.

But that’s what an audience responds to. Dreams are the essence of films. Who doesn’t love it when someone’s dream comes true? When they finally meet their idols for a quick meet and greet, their confidence is buoyed by Green Day’s good nature and receipt of their demo tape.

Of course, no quest is without its challenges. Whether it’s band member Chad (Ryan Foust) struggling to break out of his complacency and emerge as a true punk drummer or Fred’s undisputable stupidity, Tommy has his hands full as they navigate their way past overwhelming odds and obstacles.

Therein lies the fun. The audience is fully aware that the quest is doomed to fail from the very beginning. But it’s the spirit of the underdog’s blind optimism that keeps them going and endears the plucky teenagers to the audience. If you grew up with films like The Goonies or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, then the humour of this film won’t be lost on you.

The cast is vibrant and clearly having fun. But it’s the placement of fan-favourites like Fischer and Angela Kinsey in notable roles lending a further degree of acceptance to them. Sean Gunn’s turn as the drunken mechanic Colby gives us a well-placed laugh in a tense situation and Fred Armisen as the mentally questionable hotel manager also adds to the fun.

The film does suffer from a slowed pace in a few places as the characters reflect on their relationships with each other. Still, it’s important to see their motivations change as they begin to realize the near impossibility of their situation. No money, no driver’s license and the fact that they’re driving a stolen car brings a bit of a downer. Heck, rock and roll’s a tough business and reality can suck.

But the great thing about a quest story is that the audience is committed to the success of our intrepid underdogs. Even though they may not succeed or the goal is so completely unattainable, it doesn’t matter because we want them to win.

With all of this set against Green Day’s greatest hits, it’s impossible to resist the feeling of optimism this spirited film emanates. The fact that Green Day produced it and had a hand in the film’s direction tells you something about its nature.

Nimrods. Directed by Lee Kirk. Starring Green Day (Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool, Mike Dirnt), Mason Thames, Mckenna Grace, Kylr Coffman, Ryan Foust, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, Keen Ruffalo, Jenna Fischer, and Sean Gunn. In theatres August 14.