The Resonate Themes of ‘Ordinary World’ Are Undone by its Lead Character

GameStop, Inc.

Ordinary World

Everyone hates getting older, but for those that have aligned themselves with anti-conformist subculture of punk rock entering into a world of marriage, children, and a career can be a challenging transition. That’s the theme at the center of Ordinary World, the new film from writer-director Lee Kirk, which stars Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day as a husband and father trying to cope with life after his glory days of playing in dingy dive bars with his drunken cohorts. As hard as the film tries to present an earnest examination of this life coping with transition, it’s entirely undone by having a lead character that is so astoundingly stupid and selfish that empathy is elusive for the audience.

When we first see Perry (Armstrong) he’s alongside his drunken bandmates – including Fred Armisen and Kevin Corrigan – before playing a show in 1995. When we next see Perry, he’s awaking from his slumber only to realize that he’s forgotten to put out the trash. Perry is quite forgetful, as we’ll see further and further as Ordinary World continues. One thing, however, he hasn’t forgotten is the fact that today is his birthday, a fact that seems to have been lost his wife Karen (Selma Blair). Before departing for work, Karen provides Perry with a laundry list of things to do, including picking up a guitar for Salome (Madisyn Shipman) for her talent show and unlocking the house on his lunch break for his incoming in-laws.

Late to his job at the family hardware story where he works with his brother Jake (Chris Messina), Perry is feeling a crushing listlessness about his current life, often drifting off in his mind to the past triumphs. Sensing this, Jake gives his brother $1,000 and the day off, which Perry uses to book an expensive hotel room and throw himself a birthday party. As his friends, including former bandmate Gary (Armisen), arrive, the duties that Perry has forgotten about come calling, rushing to let his in-laws (John Doman and Mia Dillon) and picking up the guitar he left at work. In his absence, the party at the hotel has started gaining steam, his friends ordering room service and raiding the minibar. Meanwhile, Perry runs into an old flame at the hotel (Judy Greer), who is the manager for punk icon Joan Jett (who has a very brief cameo). Trying to recapture the rebellion of his youth leaves Perry in a situation where he’s facing consequences for his dereliction of responsibility.

As much as Kirk wants you to extend a level of sympathy towards Perry, his screenplay makes it pretty much impossible to care for such a selfish, irreconcilably stupid character. Within minutes of the film’s brief 90-minute running time, we’re witness to the character accepting and forgetting tasks with increasingly regularity. It’d be one thing if bad luck intervenes and were distract the character, but he unconsciously goes through this one day in an oblivious stupor that is so unrelenting it makes empathy something no rational person would extend to this individual. And yet the character’s stupidity isn’t even mined for the slightest comedic effect, instead just a series of selfish actions that are simply excused because he’s in the throes of a mid-life crisis.

Billie Joe Armstrong isn’t a particularly strong actor. His actions rarely come across as naturalistic, as the task of acting is apparently always on his mind. Yet for all his failings as a leading man, Armstrong isn’t embarrassing in the role. Much of that credit, though, is given to his strong supporting actors, especially an eager Fred Armisen who sparks Perry’s party to spiral out of control. All supporting characters amble in and out of the narrative, placing Armstrong at the heart of every single scene of Ordinary World.

Unfortunately, Ordinary World is unable to tap into the universal themes of being uneasy growing up and accepting responsibility because its main character is just so aloof in everything that he does. The character operates as nothing more than a selfish doofus that only thinks of others after he’s already done the harm. Ordinary World lands as a crushing disappointment because it can’t make the audience care about its lead. Everyone has to grow up at one point. Everyone has forgetful moments. Everyone has irredeemably stupid moments. But not everyone has these moments happen in succession over the course of a single day. I really wanted to extend goodwill to Ordinary World, but its collision of the mundane and inane just wouldn’t let me.

Ordinary World
  • Overall Score
2.5

Summary

An almost fascinating portrait of a character coping with life after punk rock, Ordinary World is sadly underserved by its lead character’s astounding stupidity and selfishness.

Anytime Costumes

Leave a Reply

FanboyNation
Animation/Anime Interviews Animation/Anime News Animation/Anime Reviews Film/TV Interviews Film/TV News Film/TV Review
‘Wednesday’ Comes to Blu-ray on Tuesday from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

‘Wednesday‘ Comes to Blu-ray on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, from Warner...

Toy Lei Talks About Playing Auntie Victoria in ‘The Brothers Sun’ – Interview Rewind

Asian-American actress Toy Lei stars as Auntie Victoria in the new...

Marcus Massey Talks ‘Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’ – Interview

Marcus Massey Shares his Wisdom as Owl in ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and...

Event News Event Reviews
‘MJ the Musical’ Chronicles the Life of the ‘King of Pop’ Running at Segerstrom – Review

‘MJ the Musical‘ is the Ultimate Stage Adaptation, Chronicling the life...

Aiden Sinclair and Michael Rangel Talks ’57 Ghosts’ Aboard the Queen Mary Séance

Aiden Sinclair and Apparitionist, Michael Rangel Discuss their new Theatrical Séance...

Luke and Madison Rhoades Open ‘Slashers Axe Throwing’ – Interview

Luke and Madison Rhoades Open Orange County’s first ever horror themed...

Automotives Football MMA, Kick Boxing & Boxing Professional Wrestling
Olympic Runner Colleen Quigley ‘On The Road to Paris’

Team USA Olympic Runner, Colleen Quigley is On The Road to...

Paralympian Swimmer Ahalya Lettenberger On The Road to Paris

Team USA Paralympian Swimmer, Ahalya Lettenberger is On The Road to...

Ultimate Women of Wrestling Comes to the Globe Theatre – Interview

Ultimate Women of Wrestling Comes to the Globe Theatre on Sunday,...

Adult Continuity Comics on the Can Cultural Junk Drawer Future Comic Rock Stars Is That Racist? Revisiting the Reviled THAT'S NOT ROTTEN! The B-Reel The Cantina Scene This Week in Crowdfunding What the HELL Did I just...?
Fantoy Comics Presents: Harry Potter and the Pahrump Apocalypse – SID SPEAKS!

"We Demons! Let's go CRUNK on this punk-ass world!"

Fantoy Comics Presents: Harry Potter and the Pahrump Apocalypse: Escalation

When you said "Destroy" Kurt grabbed his mini-gun an AK-47 and...

Fantoy Comics Presents: Harry Potter and the Pahrump Apocalypse, the continuing saga!

If cautious means being careful when I break a foot off...

Music Interviews Music News Music Reviews
Joe Kwaczala Talks About His new Comedy Album ‘Funny Songs & Sketches’ – Interview

Joe Kwaczala Talks About His new Comedy Album ‘Funny Songs &...

Songwriter and Poet, Tamara Mechael Talks About Her Career in the Arts

First Generation Assyrian-Chaldean, Songwriter and Poet, Tamara Mechael Talks About Her...

Louden Swain Headlining Los Angeles Show at The Echo

Press Release – Louden Swain are headlining Los Angeles show at...

Enabled Gaming Gaming News Gaming Reviews
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Gameplay Trailer

The first Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League gameplay trailer was revealed during...

Wonder Woman Game
Wonder Woman Game Announced By DC and WB Games

Wonder Woman game will feature the iconic hero in a 3rd...

MultiVersus
MultiVersus brings Batman, Arya Stark, Bugs Bunny, and More

MultiVersus is bringing Shaggy, Harley Quinn, Jake, Batman, Arya Stark, Bugs Bunny,...

Comic Creator Interviews Comic/Graphic Novel News Comic/Graphic Novel Reviews Manga News Manga Reviews Novel/Novella Author Interviews Novel/Novella News Novel/Novella Reviews
Gary Morgenstein Talks ‘A Dugout to Peace’ the Final Installment of his Trilogy

Gary Morgenstein Talks About ‘A Dugout to Peace‘ the final installment...

Chris Clews Is ‘Raised on the 80s’ and Shares Those Life Lessons

Chris Clews was ‘Raised on the 80s‘ and Shares Those Life...

Roye Okupe Brings Authentic African Representation to HBO Max and Cartoon Network

Nigerian-American, Roye Okupe brings authentic African representation to HBO Max and...

Apparel/Personal Maintenance News Apparel/Personal Maintenance Reviews Entertainment Product News Entertainment Product Reviews Food/Beverage Reviews Hardware News Hardware Reviews Mystery Box News Mystery Box Reviews
Harry Potter: Magic Caster Wand Demo

The new ‘Harry Potter: Magic Caster Wand‘ is ready to ship...

Chef Jen Peters and Matthew Clayton Bring us the ‘Good Flour’

Canadian Super Chef Jen Peters and Matthew Clayton Bring us the...

Pop Insider 2021 Holiday Gift Guide
Pop Insider 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

The Pop Insider 2021 Holiday Gift Guide is now available to help...

Gaming Uncensored Toon-In-Talk
Episode 38: Hamid Rahmanian

Join Whitney Grace as she speaks with artist Hamid Rahmanian, who...

No Preview
Toon-In Talk Episode 37: Niki Smith

Whitney Grace interviews graphic novel writer and artist Niki Smith about...

Toon-In Talk Episode 36: Rob Paulsen

Rob Paulsen takes some time from his busy voice acting schedule...