"Ordinary World" movie starring Billie Joe

[desertrose]

 

 

[unextraordinarygirl]

I love how towards the end he's in the doghouse ummm...playhouse. LOL   I've watched it several times on Amazon video and really enjoy it. It's a cute movie. 

[Eric]

Where is the soundtrack at? :/ 

[UNICORN VOMIT]

3 hours ago, unextraordinarygirl said:

I love how towards the end he's in the doghouse ummm...playhouse. LOL   I've watched it several times on Amazon video and really enjoy it. It's a cute movie. 

He fits perfectly😋

Anyways I thought the goblin did a good job - his facial expressions were priceless.  My favourite part was the Joan Jett cameo.  Nice movie. 

[desertrose]

 

[RougeRogue]

^ He used "pop-culture graveyard" again lol

[billy99]

Hey, Billie's acting reaaally improved in this one! Was pretty great; I felt the ending was a bit of a downer though haha.

[rockmanx37]

Amazing movie, absolutely loved this film.

[Hermione]

Watched this with my sister earlier. Two things, 1. Billie's acting is good now! Couldn't fault it, all the acting in the film was decent and he completely held his own. 2. I'm sorry but this film stinks! I was expecting it to be dodgy to average but it's really awful and depressing too. The actors did a good job with what they had to work with but the plot and the way the characters behave is unrealistic and unbelievable to the point of being really annoying. Barely a minute could go by without us looking at each other and going "why would they do that?!".

Spoiler

For example, why would someone blow all their money to hire a hotel suite and have a party, and then complain about anyone having fun of any kind, complain that people showed up to the party, and not even attend the party? How could he not have thought of the kid's talent show being that night when he'd been running around sorting things out for it all morning and even had the guitar with him? He'd drunk like one beer and didn't appear to have something severely wrong with him so why would he smash his kid's guitar? On what planet does a hotel desk clerk act like that, and have the authority to order a police officer to cuff someone for the crime of breaking hotel room guidelines? Why would a waiter serve someone a drink and then stare them down like a psychopath? What is a "dad's club" and what dads would behave that way? Why would his inlaws harass him over where his kid's guitar was currently located? When would a will ever be written with that stipulation? Why would he not even attempt to pursue the Joan Jett thing when he knew the manager and could've just asked for her contact details and given her the song at a later time? Why is his wife a total bitch to him over putting the bins out and messing up getting a new guitar for his kid (when there was already a guitar for her to use) when she'd done much worse interfering about his job with his brother behind his back? Why would his "friends" kick him off stage at the party he paid for and take advantage of him to the point of ridiculousness? There's more and more but anyway almost every aspect of the plot was irritating. Might have been able to be done better/more realistically if it had been set over a longer period of time.

And almost the entire film is just miserable for Billie's character, he's incompetent at everything to the point of it being ridiculous, is treated like shit constantly, and the main message seems to be that if you have a family or a job it's impossible to be in a band/be involved in music/do anything that makes you happy in any way. The fact that my dad has never not been in a band from the age of 18 to 60 despite having a full time job, wife and three kids didn't help , not buying the premise that that's impossible. 

Spoiler

The ending in particular pissed me off. He's going to lose the job he hates and get some money soon, his wife and family all want him to pursue something he feels passionate about, and his daughter is inspired by his music making. So here's an idea, don't even try to pursue the fact that you've written a song that someone from the music industry is excited about just because of a school talent show even though your wife is already going to attend it, it would surely end earlier than a Joan Jett concert, and you know the person who wants to pass your song on and could just get it to her later. Don't pursue music. Instead sell your guitar (because a successful lawyer's family could never afford to own two guitars) and carry on as before. It was just silly, would have been better and way more realistic after everything else that happened if they'd at least implied that he was going to pursue music again even just as a hobby.

So yeah didn't like the film at all. But it was fun watching Billie and I was very impressed with his acting. He's definitely proven himself here and it makes me excited to see him in future roles.

[jengd]

Agree with everything you say here, and he's going to give guitar lessons but has just traded in his guitar, or is it his new guitar?  Yes film plot poor but soooo lovely to see Billie in it, think he did a great job.  

[Chin for a Day]

23 minutes ago, Hermione said:

Watched this with my sister earlier. Two things, 1. Billie's acting is good now! Couldn't fault it, all the acting in the film was decent and he completely held his own. 2. I'm sorry but this film stinks! I was expecting it to be dodgy to average but it's really awful and depressing too. The actors did a good job with what they had to work with but the plot and the way the characters behave is unrealistic and unbelievable to the point of being really annoying. Barely a minute could go by without us looking at each other and going "why would they do that?!".

  Reveal hidden contents

For example, why would someone blow all their money to hire a hotel suite and have a party, and then complain about anyone having fun of any kind, complain that people showed up to the party, and not even attend the party? How could he not have thought of the kid's talent show being that night when he'd been running around sorting things out for it all morning and even had the guitar with him? He'd drunk like one beer and didn't appear to have something severely wrong with him so why would he smash his kid's guitar? On what planet does a hotel desk clerk act like that, and have the authority to order a police officer to cuff someone for the crime of breaking hotel room guidelines? Why would a waiter serve someone a drink and then stare them down like a psychopath? What is a "dad's club" and what dads would behave that way? Why would his inlaws harass him over where his kid's guitar was currently located? When would a will ever be written with that stipulation? Why would he not even attempt to pursue the Joan Jett thing when he knew the manager and could've just asked for her contact details and given her the song at a later time? Why is his wife a total bitch to him over putting the bins out and messing up getting a new guitar for his kid (when there was already a guitar for her to use) when she'd done much worse interfering about his job with his brother behind his back? Why would his "friends" kick him off stage at the party he paid for and take advantage of him to the point of ridiculousness? There's more and more but anyway almost every aspect of the plot was irritating. Might have been able to be done better/more realistically if it had been set over a longer period of time.

And almost the entire film is just miserable for Billie's character, he's incompetent at everything to the point of it being ridiculous, is treated like shit constantly, and the main message seems to be that if you have a family or a job it's impossible to be in a band/be involved in music/do anything that makes you happy in any way. The fact that my dad has never not been in a band from the age of 18 to 60 despite having a full time job, wife and three kids didn't help , not buying the premise that that's impossible. 

  Reveal hidden contents

The ending in particular pissed me off. He's going to lose the job he hates and get some money soon, his wife and family all want him to pursue something he feels passionate about, and his daughter is inspired by his music making. So here's an idea, don't even try to pursue the fact that you've written a song that someone from the music industry is excited about just because of a school talent show even though your wife is already going to attend it, it would surely end earlier than a Joan Jett concert, and you know the person who wants to pass your song on and could just get it to her later. Don't pursue music. Instead sell your guitar (because a successful lawyer's family could never afford to own two guitars) and carry on as before. It was just silly, would have been better and way more realistic after everything else that happened if they'd at least implied that he was going to pursue music again even just as a hobby.

So yeah didn't like the film at all. But it was fun watching Billie and I was very impressed with his acting. He's definitely proven himself here and it makes me excited to see him in future roles.

I thought the movie was adorable, but I can see why someone would not like it.  It was very predictable and the story line was no different than thousands of other films we have seen before.   But, I have to disagree with you because I can absolutely see this film being believable, in context.   Maybe not all the piece parts, but the concept of a guy thinking he was going down one path, something happens to make him diverge from that path and then to have some moments of, I won't say regret, but wonder about what could have happened.   Also, there are alot of scenes in any movie where you have to use the suspension of disbelief, and you mentioned some of them but I will address some of the others.

Spoiler

He wanted to have the party because he wanted to try and go back to where he was, but 20 years later that person wasn't who he was anymore.  He was a husband and a dad and that "wild life" just didn't fit his lifestyle anymore.  He was scatter brained so he forgot the kids party.   He smashed the guitar because he wanted to be "punk" again, he wasn't thinking that it was his daughters guitar.   The in-law comment made me laugh out loud.   No offense, but that was clearly written from the point of someone who doesn't have in-laws.  My mother-in-law took every opportunity to tell me what a piece of shit I was, including her death bed.  There are quite a bit of people that are continuously either told or made to feel inadequate by their in-laws.  Most dad's behave the way they did in the film.  When you have kids, your friends are your kids friends parents.  You have so much in common and your lives are so intertwined that it is almost easier to just hang out with the parents.  Plus, it is often that you are at a soccer game or concert, etc and afterwards everyone just goes out and gets something to eat.  A will would be written with a stipulation like that if the father because the father thought that Perry couldn't handle the business and he didn't want the busienss to go under.  I can absolutely see wills written that way.  My Aunt left her entire estate to her son because she knew that her daughter will blow everything all at once.   My cousin (the son) was told to take care of his sister, monetarily, in such a way that she doesn't spend everything all at once.  It was Perry's job to take out the garbage and he always forgets, that is why she was pissed.  I do agree with the idea of his wife talking to his brother behind his back, that was underhanded.  It is very, very, very very bad to tell your child that you are missing an important event in her life to go  to a Joan Jett concert.  Kids are looking for our support and he needed to be there, especially when she is inspired by his music.  It was more important for him to be there than the mother.  He was her link to her passion.  He didn't pursue the Joan Jett thing or the song because he didnt' want too.  And he was pursuing music, he was going to be a guitar teacher.   He put a sign up at the end that he is giving guitar lessons.   Also, I believe they said his wife was a prosecutor, which means she works for the state and they actually don't make that much money.  The whole point of the film is that he was actually happy with his life the way it was.  So the ending was supposed to be happy because he finally understood that.   Also remember the last scene with Fred Armisen, he said that all he ever wanted to do was jam a bit.  He didn't want the big career.          

 

[Hermione]

9 minutes ago, Scattered Wreck said:

I thought the movie was adorable, but I can see why someone would not like it.  It was very predictable and the story line was no different than thousands of other films we have seen before.   But, I have to disagree with you because I can absolutely see this film being believable, in context.   Maybe not all the piece parts, but the concept of a guy thinking he was going down one path, something happens to make him diverge from that path and then to have some moments of, I won't say regret, but wonder about what could have happened.   Also, there are alot of scenes in any movie where you have to use the suspension of disbelief, and you mentioned some of them but I will address some of the others.

  Hide contents

He wanted to have the party because he wanted to try and go back to where he was, but 20 years later that person wasn't who he was anymore.  He was a husband and a dad and that "wild life" just didn't fit his lifestyle anymore.  He was scatter brained so he forgot the kids party.   He smashed the guitar because he wanted to be "punk" again, he wasn't thinking that it was his daughters guitar.   The in-law comment made me laugh out loud.   No offense, but that was clearly written from the point of someone who doesn't have in-laws.  My mother-in-law took every opportunity to tell me what a piece of shit I was, including her death bed.  There are quite a bit of people that are continuously either told or made to feel inadequate by their in-laws.  Most dad's behave the way they did in the film.  When you have kids, your friends are your kids friends parents.  You have so much in common and your lives are so intertwined that it is almost easier to just hang out with the parents.  Plus, it is often that you are at a soccer game or concert, etc and afterwards everyone just goes out and gets something to eat.  A will would be written with a stipulation like that if the father because the father thought that Perry couldn't handle the business and he didn't want the busienss to go under.  I can absolutely see wills written that way.  My Aunt left her entire estate to her son because she knew that her daughter will blow everything all at once.   My cousin (the son) was told to take care of his sister, monetarily, in such a way that she doesn't spend everything all at once.  It was Perry's job to take out the garbage and he always forgets, that is why she was pissed.  I do agree with the idea of his wife talking to his brother behind his back, that was underhanded.  It is very, very, very very bad to tell your child that you are missing an important event in her life to go  to a Joan Jett concert.  Kids are looking for our support and he needed to be there, especially when she is inspired by his music.  It was more important for him to be there than the mother.  He was her link to her passion.  He didn't pursue the Joan Jett thing or the song because he didnt' want too.  And he was pursuing music, he was going to be a guitar teacher.   He put a sign up at the end that he is giving guitar lessons.   Also, I believe they said his wife was a prosecutor, which means she works for the state and they actually don't make that much money.  The whole point of the film is that he was actually happy with his life the way it was.  So the ending was supposed to be happy because he finally understood that.   Also remember the last scene with Fred Armisen, he said that all he ever wanted to do was jam a bit.  He didn't want the big career.          

 

Spoiler

OK I must've missed the guitar teaching thing, that does improve my opinion of the ending quite a bit. I guess my main problem with the other parts you addressed was more with the way they were done rather than the idea (to give one example the inlaws thing, I get inlaws being overly critical but just the situation of them being like so where's the guitar??? and him scrabbling around when he could've just been like oh yeah it's at the shop ready to be picked up later or whatever was over the top. Or with the party I could see coming to that conclusion once the party started, but he literally booked it and then immediately wanted no part in it and starting talking about coasters when so much as two friends turned up to hang out.)

Quote

The whole point of the film is that he was actually happy with his life the way it was.  So the ending was supposed to be happy because he finally understood that.

I got that it was supposed to be that way but the thing was it didn't seem like he was happy , he was unfulfilled and treated like crap by almost everyone. And it was like, there's clearly a way he could pursue his music more if he wanted to and still be there for his family. It makes it look as though there has to be this big choice between doing anything you remotely enjoy and family when that isn't always the case, and didn't realistically appear to be the case for this character. 

I do agree that the film is believable in its concept. Just don't think it was executed in a believable way.

[Chin for a Day]

12 minutes ago, Hermione said:

  Reveal hidden contents

OK I must've missed the guitar teaching thing, that does improve my opinion of the ending quite a bit. I guess my main problem with the other parts you addressed was more with the way they were done rather than the idea (to give one example the inlaws thing, I get inlaws being overly critical but just the situation of them being like so where's the guitar??? and him scrabbling around when he could've just been like oh yeah it's at the shop ready to be picked up later or whatever was over the top. Or with the party I could see coming to that conclusion once the party started, but he literally booked it and then immediately wanted no part in it and starting talking about coasters when so much as two friends turned up to hang out.)

I got that it was supposed to be that way but the thing was it didn't seem like he was happy , he was unfulfilled and treated like crap by almost everyone. And it was like, there's clearly a way he could pursue his music more if he wanted to and still be there for his family. It makes it look as though there has to be this big choice between doing anything you remotely enjoy and family when that isn't always the case, and didn't realistically appear to be the case for this character. 

I do agree that the film is believable in its concept. Just don't think it was executed in a believable way.

I can absolutely see how you feel.  The film is just so generic it can go either way, taste wise.  I probably liked it better than I should because he was in it, but I still think I would have thought it was a cute, light film.   

Spoiler

See the in-law thing is very spot on to me.  I know that is stereotypical and not all in-laws are like that, but it is kind of a common joke.  Also, from experience, I know how my mother in-law was.  I also agree that you can have a music career and have a family, it isn't either or.  However, you have to want to have the music career and family.  Just because you can doesn't mean you want too.  I think that came out in the fact that he had the opportunity to purse Ordinary World with Joan Jett and chose not too.  I thought that he looked happy and content in the end.  They all looked so happy in the car.  But, at the very least, I think we can agree that he was absolutely adorable. 

 

[Beerjeezus]

I wouldn't even watch a movie like that if he weren't in it so I wasn't expecting anything. It was a hour and half of Billie - that's what made it slightly above-average for me. 

The way Perry behaves makes sense. It's a very simple movie, it doesn't go very in depth with the characters - it doesn't say why he does what he does, you have to figure it out from the context. He acts dumb most of the time because he is confused - he can't live the way he used to before but doesn't want to fit into the family/work stereotype. I was facepalming every two minutes but it made sense. 

And the in-laws were very realistic imo. 

[Hermione]

32 minutes ago, Scattered Wreck said:

 

  Hide contents

 But, at the very least, I think we can agree that he was absolutely adorable. 

 

Certainly!

9 minutes ago, Jane Lannister said:

I wouldn't even watch a movie like that if he weren't in it so I wasn't expecting anything. It was a hour and half of Billie - that's what made it slightly above-average for me. 

Also this haha

The positive is Billie completely surpassed my expectations with his acting. Like I knew from the clips and what people said that he'd improved, but I didn't know it would be by so much that I didn't even cringe at his acting once . Had to cringe at the film itself instead while admiring the acting . I hope he gets substantial parts in more films.

[Beerjeezus]

8 minutes ago, Hermione said:

Certainly!

Also this haha

The positive is Billie completely surpassed my expectations with his acting. Like I knew from the clips and what people said that he'd improved, but I didn't know it would be by so much that I didn't even cringe at his acting once . Had to cringe at the film itself instead while admiring the acting . I hope he gets substantial parts in more films.

Yeah, I was ready to laugh at him if it were too bad but didn't need to in the end.

Yeah, it would be fine if he acted more. It would be interesting if he got some roles that have nothing to do with music as well. 

[GenXIdiot]

And looking at Billie Joe for an hour and a half does not suck.

38 minutes ago, Jane Lannister said:

Yeah, I was ready to laugh at him if it were too bad but didn't need to in the end.

Yeah, it would be fine if he acted more. It would be interesting if he got some roles that have nothing to do with music as well. 

 

[Hermione]

Another thing, I thought Madisyn Shipman the actress who played Billie's daughter was really good. That talent show entry was about a million times better than anything I ever saw at my school lol.

[Beerjeezus]

13 hours ago, Hermione said:

Another thing, I thought Madisyn Shipman the actress who played Billie's daughter was really good. That talent show entry was about a million times better than anything I ever saw at my school lol.

Yes, she did very well. 

[GenXIdiot]

3 hours ago, Jane Lannister said:

Yes, she did very well. 

My husband thought, and I agreed, that she looked too old for the character. 

[Beerjeezus]

1 hour ago, GenXIdiot said:

My husband thought, and I agreed, that she looked too old for the character. 

How old was the girl supposed to be? 10? She did look older than that. 

[GenXIdiot]

46 minutes ago, Jane Lannister said:

How old was the girl supposed to be? 10? She did look older than that. 

yes, she looked more like 12-13

[stories and songs]

19 hours ago, Hermione said:

Another thing, I thought Madisyn Shipman the actress who played Billie's daughter was really good. That talent show entry was about a million times better than anything I ever saw at my school lol.

I started following her on Instagram when she was posting set pics, and I've now come to realize she likes every single photo the Armstrong family posts. It's extremely cute. She did a good job!

[Chin for a Day]

She may have looked slightly older, but I thought she fit the part very well.  She is a talented young lady and I thought she really looked and acted like she could be Billie's daughter.  I thought she was great.

[findsolaceinrock]

Ok, did anyone else feel that Perry was really stupid (and somewhat naive) in some parts of the movie?

Like, when that stripper is in that room, Perry says something like "what's she doing in there?", and that other guy's like "oh, she gonna come out and read the bible!" 

And then when his brother was like "we might buy you out of the business", Perry's just like "what does that mean?" in this really clueless way, and his brother has to spell it out for him: he might get fired, and Perry does nothing to defend himself from this unfairness.

And I don't get why he couldn't just choose a normal room, and had to go & mess up the presidential suite.

And when that receptionist shows him the 1000 dollar wine, Perry's just like "is it any good?'

And so on...He just seemed a bit too stupid for a 40 yr old ex-rocker..

But no, I can really relate to the forgetfulness part of the story....in fact, the rest of the movie was better than I expected. The movie, in general, was quite alright but it was the little details that bugged me.

Also, the version of Ordinary World in the movie had quite an impact (for me, at least), and you could really see all the things Perry could have done with his life. In the album, when I heard the song, I remember thinking "oh look, a punk rocker going soft in his middle age!" but in the movie, it was quite haunting and powerful.

Overall though, it was quite good.

P.S. If I were in Billie's position, the movie would have scared me to death, as the movie shows how his life could been if Dookie hadn't sold millions of records. It would make him think about how he got really lucky with that because he could have easily ended up as a loser in a hardware store. To think about how lucky he actually is, and to think that he might have messed it up permanently with his addiction problems, especially after rehab and all....it must have been really painful...