There is something hilarious about a guy who gets paid to take the stage in front of hundreds night after night and sing “Fuck Authority” at the top of his lungs, reprimand his pre-teen daughter for using a naughty word at home.
The Other F Word is the brilliant documentary by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins based partly on ex-Pennywise front man Jim Lindberg’s 2008 memoir Punk Rock Dad. The film features interviews with Lindberg and his family, along with Fat Mike (NOFX), Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) Ron Reyes (Black Flag), skater Tony Hawk and others. And yes, Lindberg is the first to admit the seemingly contradictory messages of singing “Fuck Authority” to an audience of kids and cracking down on the potty mouths in his own house.
The movie, a festival favorite last year, is a fascinating look at the musicians who love playing anti-authority anthems, but at the end of the day, love their kids much more and have managed to juggle both lifestyles with plenty of lessons learned over the years. You can tell Lindberg is clearly bummed about having to leave his wife and kids behind as he heads out on tour (a sub story of the doc focuses on how touring is forcing Lindberg to choose between his band and his desires to be at home more often is captured in real time as the band is dissolving over the course of the movie).
There are some genuinely touching moments in the doc, like Lindberg getting online to Skype to his wife and three daughters or Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath singing one of his songs with his little girl. Most of the punk rock dads admit to having strained relationships with their own fathers (if there was any relationship at all) and are focused on being there for their own children.
There is nothing more punk rock than fatherhood.
The Other F Word/99 mins./Oscilloscope/2012