The Other F Word (2011)
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Reviews Counted: 31
Fresh: 24 | Rotten: 7
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 6.7/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 4
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 1,743
My Rating
Movie Info
Punk rock dad: an oxymoron? The Other F Word, with charm and wit, explores the bizarre transformation of punk rockers (featuring Pennywise's Jim Lindberg, whose anthem is "F--- Authority") into soccer dads. The L.A. punk scene's leading men - among them Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Ron Reyes (Black Flag), Mark Hoppus (Blink 182), Tim McIlrath (Rise Against), and Fat Mike (NOFX) - open up about their troubled childhoods and how, today, they balance profane rage with being conscientious
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Cast
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Mark Hoppus
Mark Hoppus -
Tim McIlrath
Tim McIlrath -
Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk -
Ron "Chavo" Reyes
Ron "Chavo" Reyes -
Jim Lindberg
Jim Lindberg -
Art Alexakis
Art Alexakis -
Fat Mike
Fat Mike -
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Duane Peters
Duane Peters -
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Lars Fredrikson-Rancid
Lars Fredrikson-Rancid
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All Critics (32) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (24) | Rotten (7) | DVD (1)
There are delicious contrasts between the musicians in full-on punk-rock mode and in full-on dad mode.
Top CriticBlink-182's Mark Hoppus has an especially good line about the all-consuming nature of being a pop: "It's like red matter from Star Trek. It just sucks everything in."
These cute little domestic interludes give The Other F Word a light humor and large awwwww factor that's unavoidable, understandable and entirely un-punk.
For the most part the film is an interesting, and occasionally fascinating, look at getting older and taking on responsibility.
Lindberg's throwaway self-description of himself as getting by during a tour "on Ambien and hair dye'' may be the best line in a movie full of good ones.
Despite a few genuinely poignant moments (try not to be moved as Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea talks of righting his parents' wrongs) and a bit of humor, F Word feels shallow and a little stale.
If you ever listened to punk rock from the 80s or 90s and thought how hard it's going to be for these guys to deal with their own kids, this documentary reveals that truth.
The film's subjects may consider themselves non-conformists, but the movie's style -- the use of colorful graphics, fast-forwards, jump cuts and other computer-editing tricks -- is the epitome of mainstream.
As punk rock dads recall their own difficult childhoods, their absent fathers and abusive stepfathers, they assert their determination to "be there" for their own kids.
People grow up sometimes, more or less - even punk rockers.
We do get to see Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers cry, though. That gets some bonus points in my book.
Not just a fluffy portrait of dudes with tattoos and their cute kids
This charming, amusing documentary has its sad side too...
Tired conformists or still staunch rebels, whatever you may think of these punk rockers turned parents, this lively, affecting documentary is a highly worthwhile, often hilarious investigation into the ultimate contradiction.
The most endearing and potentially tearjerking documentary about punks you'll ever see.
...the visual contrasts, like Rancid's Lars Frederickson, he of the tattooed face and leopard-spotted head, pushing a child on a swing, are chuckle inducing.
The other F word is "Father" or "Fatherhood." Now, what were you thinking?
Audience Reviews for The Other F Word
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Lars Fredrikson-Rancid: Sometimes you think about, oh s**t should I have tattooed my forehead?
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- Mark Hoppus: Having a baby changed everything.
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The film was initially inspired by Pennywise frontman Jim Lindberg's book Punk Rock Dad, and he is the main focus here< as the film follows his life of trying to juggle being a father and the singer for one of the giants of the punk world. Along the way, he is joined by a Greek chorus of fellow punks and counter culture guys (like Tony Hawk) who also weigh in on the idea of punk fathers and give their sides of the story.
The set up I gave you isn't actually stated in the film, which sucks, and could be disorienting for some people. The commentary track says all this, but the film itself doesn't. And by all of that, I mean how the film is primarily structured around Lindberg. That aside, this is a really good documentary. It's funny, charming, insightful, and at times, really moving and heartfelt. I do wish some of these guys got more screen time than others, but it is nevertheless funny as hell to see a playground clear out as soon as Lars Fredrickson and his kid show up, all because Lars is covered head to toe with tons of tattoos.
I also absolutely loved how the film humanized these guys, and showed that they are trying to learn from the past and be the figures that many (though not all) of them never had in their lives. Not only are these guys able to be both punks and fathers, some of them are actually excellent fat being dads. It seems weird to think of guys who preach anti-authoritarian messages as being good disciplinarians, but they somehow make it work.
The music is of course really good, if you dig punk that is, and the interview segments/concert footage is all shot nicely too.
Overall, this is a wonderful film, and one you should definitely see. Probably the most poignant way to describe this movie is by one of the taglines: punk rock never meant to grow up, but it did.