Ordinary World (I) (2016) User Reviews (30)

"Ordinary World" lives up to half of it's title at any rate.

[jtncsmistad · 6/10 · 19 October 2016]

I really wanted to like "Ordinary World". The comedy stars Green Day front-man Billie Joe Armstrong as Perry, a just turned middle-aged singer/guitarist on indefinite hiatus from his once-promising rock group. This cat is a fish flung FAR out of water as domesticated husband, father and feckless hardware store sales guy. When presented with the opportunity to celebrate his 40th birthday in grand style he does it up right in a posh New York City hotel suite, together with his ex band-mates and a pack of party animals he's heretofore never met. Natch, shenanigan's soon ensue.

While the hard driving original music Armstrong contributes is fantastic, particularly the amped-up onslaught that mule kick starts the story, the superlatives for this largely lukewarm effort pretty much start and end there.

Writer/Director Lee Kirk thrusts it completely upon Armstrong to carry his movie, as the brilliant musician performs in practically every single one of it's scenes. Now granted, Armstrong's Perry is of decidedly docile demeanor, having ostensibly fallen into the mostly uneventful life he now leads. However, he proves to be just a little TOO passive in this role. To the point where Armstrong's underplaying of his understated character never managed to amplify and fully engage me. In all candor, the same can be said of the turns turned in by the flick's supporting stable of actors, which includes a trio of highly capable pros in Selma Blair, Chris Messina and Fred Armisen.

Still, despite the earnestly honorable intentions, and in keeping with the film's title, all involved here wind up coming off as not much more than...yep...you guessed it.

Ordinary.

OK movie

[skyvessels · 6/10 · 7 April 2017]

I expected that Billie Joe Armstrong will be bad in this movie, I was wrong. He was good. He can act, not Oscar worthy, but he can act. This movie has many flaws, some major plot point are not explained at the end of the movie, it's bothering me a little bit All the acting was fine, everyone did their jobs well The soundtrack was awesome Predictable as hell Overall, OK movie. You can watch it as a Green Day fan and you will be pleased by Billie acting skills. I enjoy it, not sure I'll watch again or not but hey check it out, it's worth your time

Takes Way Too Long to Get Unraveled

[larrys3 · 4/10 · 16 December 2016]

If only the first hour of this film was as good as its final twenty minutes. I felt there was a better movie in here somewhere that never really emerged, as the film got mired in awkward and flat humor, plus some plot elements that just didn't ring true.

Billie Joe Armstrong (the lead vocalist for Green Day) stars here as Perry, a former punk rocker who left the band some years before to start a family. Now he's quite a scatterbrained but decent guy going through a midlife crisis. He's having trouble, as he's ready to celebrate his 40th birthday, accepting living in his "ordinary world", as a husband and father of two, and mired in a job with his brother in a family owned hardware store. Thus, the film will follow Perry for one day,as he ends up spontaneously arranging a birthday party at a very fancy hotel, in NYC.

Overall, the movie, written and directed by Lee Kirk, just took way too long to get unraveled, but at least the final parts of the film prevented it from being a complete clunker, in my opinion.

A lighthearted comedy

[Gordon-11 · 29 November 2016]

This film tells the story of an ex rocker who gave up on his band years ago to have a family. On his fortieth birthday, he experiences a midlife crisis, and splashes out on a presidential suite to party with his friends.

"Ordinary World" is about the seemingly ordinary life of a man who works in his family business. He is a character that people can relate to. It is rather sad that his family do not remember his birthday, something that I can imagine is rather terrible. As his day gets worse, he decides to counteract the downward spiral. The whole premise of the story is quite funny, and I can see both humour and dark humour in the story. I like the ending too, I did not quite expect the wife saying that outside the house to Perry in the dog house! I enjoyed this lighthearted comedy.

Is this a movie ??

[a-stamelos · 3/10 · 20 October 2016]

Really guys ??? 7.1 for this ???

Billie Joe cannot act...it would be better if you put a complete amateur actor than him but of course Billie Joe will bring tickets.

This movie is SO bad... It doesn't have any plot and the directory is still somewhere out there.

It makes you bored after 30 minutes and I don't understand what is trying to achieve...

More predictable than Tom & Jerry.

Avoid it !

Read a book or watch the sky...it will have more excitement than this.

Total waste of time !

I think 3 out of 10 is very generous !

One of the best of the year

[brendanleesprague · 7/10 · 14 January 2017]

One of the best of the year.

Watch any YouTube videos of Billie Joe Armstrong, and you'll witness a modern day punk rock star making out with fans, jumping into the audience, drinking onstage, and expressing wild antics in front of his audience. I think he was built for the screen.

His personality shows through, with the high-pitched voice you rarely hear him speak with, but are so used hearing in song, and expresses a character on screen that both "depresses and enlightens."

Seeing him on screen, at first, witnessing his tattoos on his arms, and realizing, "this is really a movie starring Billie Joe Armstrong" you realize, "how am I watching this..?" -- a stunning movie for fellow musicians, or anyone who grew up with Dookie, or the songs he got famous for, like "Brain Stew" and "When I Come Around."

The individual has literally been in the music industry for pretty much the majority of his life, and he is by far one of the most talented performers for his audiences anywhere, who always seems to appear paradoxically "young" -- youthful -- witty -- amusing -- and never seeming to age beyond his original nineties persona, which gained him so much fortune today.

He deserves better reviews for this work, and I take great pride in adding this as a "DVD" to my movie collection, within all truth and honesty, more than just a little Redbox viewing, or Google Play showing, because I feel this one ought to be added to any and all film-makers -- especially indie, or musicians, DVD collections.

As far as the plot, I don't wish to reveal anything, because I feel this is the kind of movie that speaks for itself. it is highly enjoyable, and charming, to say the least. Watch it knowing as little about it as possible, in this reviewers opinion, and you will enjoy it even more.

Enjoy.

:)

-Brendan

Unfinished

[omnipitous · 4/10 · 8 December 2016]

The title says it all. I thought the movie looked interesting which is why I watched it. After all, I know a lot of people in his situation (not that far off myself) so I was at least hoping for some familiarity feels especially since Billy Joe's in the movie so he'd bring the role some realism.

Most of the movie, although there are things I would have done differently, I was enjoying myself and it seemed like it was heading a good direction. Then it just stopped. Done... roll credits. There were all sorts of possibilities and various situations that were prepped for exploration all left unsatisfied.

If I want to watch someone be cranky about their 40th birthday while bemoaning the rock star life they could have had, I have plenty of real life friends to watch do that. A movie I expect to at least shove me through the Premise > Conflict > Resolution cycle... you know 3 acts.. blah blah blah. This one left me with 2/3 and I truly felt empty at the end denied the 1/3 of the movie they were too lazy to shoot. Of course given the apathetic, slacker demeanor they overplayed in Billy Joe's character, maybe that was the intention? "Just like the main character we're too apathetic to finish anything we start."

Anyway... boo. Directors Cut? You can shoot it and polish it now and we can all come back and watch the extended edition a year from now! ;-)

By the way, the guy from Green Day is in a movie

[mrturk182 · 7/10 · 5 December 2016]

Ordinary World stars Billie Joe Armstrong as a middle-aged divorced father approaching his 40th birthday and yearning for his early days as a punk rocker. It wasn't just the premise that drew me to this movie. It was also the fact that it was being played out by an actor whose day job is a punk rocker. And not just any punk rocker. Billie Joe Armstrong is the lead singer of the famous punk rock trio Green Day, which formed back in 1986 and broke into the music scene in 1994 with the album Dookie. I've been a Green Day fan since they put out "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", and I've grown up listening to Dookie, American Idiot, and 21st Century Breakdown, which are some of my favorite albums ever. This year, Green Day has put out an album titled Revolution Radio, and it includes a track called "Ordinary World", which this movie not only features on the soundtrack, but also got named after. While "Ordinary World" is the best track off of Revolution Radio, this movie isn't quite on the same par as that song of the same name. It is a pretty solid movie, though. It's a nice, meaningful middle-aged story that comes from director Lee Kirk, but fits Billie Joe's perspective quite well. And although the story doesn't have a clear mission that our main character goes on, it's easy to understand what it's aiming for. Also, while Billie Joe Armstrong doesn't have a lot of acting experience, he does give a quite convincing performance. Putting into consideration the time he went to rehab during the band's 2012 trio release era that was as unstable and disastrous as the ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! albums themselves, you can understand his character's thinking and feeling, and it definitely relates to his own life. It may not be a perfect film (not that it was trying to be one), but Ordinary World is a pleasantly harmless movie that serves as a good side-project from a famous punk rocker.

Score: 68/100

Recommendation: Any fans of Green Day

Bad day

[Prismark10 · 1/10 · 17 September 2017]

Ordinary World is an awful mid life crisis film starring Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of the band Green Day.

Armstrong plays Perry Miller who in 1995 was the singer in a popular punk band. Fast forward 20 years he now works in the family hardware store which his younger brother manages, he is married with two young children and feels life is passing him by as he approaches his 40th birthday.

Perry checks into a hotel to throw a birthday party with his old band mates and hopes it could reignite some passion in himself.

The trouble with this film is that it has a half baked script that really goes nowhere. Perry has a hotel room, he can have a great party with his old band mates with booze and girls but he walks out instead to let his in-laws into his house.

In fact the stupidest scenes are Perry actually going into the hotel, asking to see the Presidential suite and then asking the clerk how much the room costs. This guy has never heard of Expedia. Once he decides to throw a party he has not considered about getting booze and food, then worries that people might order room service and the cost of it all.

It really is an inept and boring film.

Pretty OK movie

[Rudransh02 · 7/10 · 1 October 2019]

The soundtrack is good (as expected). Billie's acting is on point. The story is pretty average. In one word, unremarkable.

Only for Billie Joe fans. Movie is lame, but he is alright.

[mickman91-1 · 5/10 · 29 August 2022]

I watched this for Billie Joe. And he was engaging and endearing enough and carried the whole thing really. The movie was very watchable but before you know it you've watched 45 minutes and the plot is dumb as hell. Its exploration of the concepts it presents are really shallow. I was left having learnt nothing.

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Nice Family Entertainment

[baizpro · 10/10 · 27 August 2016]

i saw this film at the premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last night. It was different than I was expecting. I was expecting more of a darker musical/comedy, something along the lines of Almost Famous. I would say it was closer to something along the lines of Mr. Mom. The film was entertaining, but quite formulaic. It really was just another version of the coming of age type film. However, there were some very funny moments and some nice running jokes in the film. The entire cast was great. Billie Joe Armstrong did a great job in his first starring role. He was incredibly likable and really made you enjoy the character of Perry. I was surprised that the film appears to be geared towards a family film, but it is nice entertainment for everyone and especially any Green Day fans.

Good movie that makes you think

[dejaeghereolivier · 7/10 · 16 February 2017]

Midlife crisis? Will we have it? is this it? these are the questions that this movie wakes up in you. i'm a green Day fan, i think it wasn't the best acting but its a real rockstar who plays a rock star. and that makes the real life experience realistic. that's why when you watch the movie you make these questions. for every person who like's a drama movie this one will pass your time.

Sold first outing

[dar0417 · 5/10 · 11 February 2020]

Not the best story but Billie Joe Armstrong did a decent job with his first staring role.

Ummmm... what?

[awvknj · 5/10 · 27 February 2023]

Well, this movie had its moments and it was kind of a feel good movie overall in the end, but it just didn't quite work. I mean he had that great song, ordinary life and that's not the song his daughter sing at the talent show ?? That's what should've happened. His old girlfriend and Joan Jett should've gone to hear his kid playing in the talent show and heard the song then it would've been like a Hollywood movie and the guy gets to have a real awakening in his creative self not let his dreams die that part of the movie I don't like, although being willing to give away his old guitar for his daughter to have her own new dream is a sweet gesture. I guess the point was life isn't like a Hollywood movie? In spite of things that didn't really add up I did kind of like this movie. The end didn't leave a bad taste in your mouth. The family was together they loved each other at the same time There was a part of it that just was like living life. The story doesn't really make a lot of sense I guess.... It's just kind of random happening stuff that you make the best of. Is that the moral of this film?

A struggling ex musician on his birthday.

[Reno-Rangan · 7/10 · 14 April 2017]

We always ask for something new. Not to repeat the same old story with different cast. After avoiding the so called major clichés, this is how a film looks like. I'm not saying it is a fresh story, but a refreshed minor league film. It is a decent comedy-drama and much better than many mainstream films from these days. So I enjoyed watching it.

I don't know who is this guy in the lead, but came to know he's a musician who played one this film as well. At first I thought it was Aaron Paul, then his brother, though, he was good in the role. The rest of the casting was good as well. It is a one day tale, that follows on the birthday of a married ex musician struggling with his life.

I think I liked the narrative, but too simple. Anyway, it ended so well. It was much better film than the others saying. It could not be as good as I'm saying to you, but definitely not a bad flick. That's what you have to understand if you are not sure about giving it a try. I would surely suggest it for the people with low expectation, but not a must see film.

7/10

almost good

[lmu9-355-933736 · 5/10 · 3 May 2022]

I stumbled upon this movie and saw it has Selma Blair whom i love so decided to keep watching.

I didn't know BJ Armstrong, so wondered who that guy was and why was he cast with Selma Blair. He seemed like boring version of David Spade. There was no charm to his loserness. I do like Greenday and may have watched the movie different if i had know who he was, but na. I'm too old.

The movie overall would have been ok, except i do not like Fred Armisen. Something annoying is wrong with that guy. It's so annoying to watch him that this could have been a 8 or 9 movie turned to a 5 but should be less to have to be tortured by that guy. I assume he purposely is trying to be annoying and it works. I almost change it, but kept watching. My skin is still crawling from having to endure that.

This was an odd little b movie was some really famous people in it. They should rework it and take out all the parts with Fred.

YES!!!! CAPITAL Y..E..S YES!

[michaeltrivedi · 7/10 · 11 November 2019]

Really good. This is an example of the perfect movie. Billie Joe Armstrong played a role I was not expecting, and so marvelously well. The film feels like Christmas in a box. Nicely wrapped with pretty decoration and smelling like chocolate muffins or something. I don't know. It's damn good! No fair!

The movie is about a slacker, rocker type dad who gets basically fired from his job by his brother. That same day, he realizes it's his birthday, and throws a rager at an expensive hotel. He later attends his daughters' talent show at school, and returns home to show audiences what a true family man is.

The film is perfect. Billie Joe Armstrong plays the ordinary dad so well. He has a bit of a rocker personality, but it doesn't take away from his normality. It's just an ordinary movie. It's an ordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. Not much is learned or experienced. No big conclusions or decisions are made. It's just a family man being a family man. And that's what I loved about the film.

I would highly recommend this film to anyone. If I could live upto the way this character lives his life, I would be so much happier. I would happy to be half the man this guy is when I get older.

7 stars

Ordinary Movie

[RobTheWatcher · 5/10 · 1 May 2022]

This movie was as expected, it wasn't great but wasn't bad. It was a simple and light hearted movie about a guy going through a mid life crisis and ended as you'd expect. It's a decent enough watch.

It Was Alright

[Dewannga · 7/10 · 3 August 2019]

Reading the reviews of this movie were usually negative and I can see some of those points shine through when I watched it. Surprisingly Billie's acting was good, maybe not fantastic, but great for someone who hasn't completely dabbled in movies. I thought it was too long. Some of parts of the plot were not completed, but I guess it is to be expected. I hate how in one scene the script makes Billie say 'really' like 50 times. Sometimes it was awkward with Perry and Karen, and I think the scriptwriters could have put more emphasis on those parts.

As a fan of Green Day, it was alright. As a movie reviewer, the movie was alright. Some parts were bad, some were good.

7/10

Great movie!

[Med-Jasta · 10/10 · 16 April 2020]

First of all let me say that this isn't a Billie Joe movie. It's just a movie that he's in. This movie is very realistic. Maybe too much for some people. Nothing really wacky happens, no life or death situations. It's not heavy, it's not dark, there's no bad guys. I could really see myself in every scenario.

It has a really great message that we all face in one way or another. It's not about trying to recreate the old days, it's about making the most out of what you have. And we grow up but we don't have to lose who we are but we do change. This spoke about the struggles of what it's like to be a dude that had big dreams that didn't work out. It's not about getting the girl. It's about having the girl and how you live with it.

Let me just say that I'm not a Green Day fan. But Billie Joe did a great job. He wasn't the best actor in the world but he played it very realisticlly and didn't feel like he was acting. He was raw, real and put himself out there.

I highly recommend this movie. The jokes are genuine and the struggle is real.

Solid

[jcelindberg · 7/10 · 26 July 2019]

It's a good and a charming movie, Billie is a better actor then 90% of the people in Hollywood. The plot however was all over the place and made you feel stressed with the main character and you got to know how he felt. The plot wasn't the best either but I loved every second of it, it is totally my new favourite movie. This is a must see. It got a 7 instead of a 10 because it had so much more it could develop and much more potential in the plot then what they showed us, it was however a great movie.

7/10

Nice and easy going midtlife crises

[jkcarlo · 7/10 · 27 July 2018]

Once in a punk, rock band - all of a sudden married, with house and kids. What the hell happened?

This is exactly the theme of this easy going movie about a man hitting a midlife crisis as he is about to turn 40. The fine thing about this movie is that it unfolds in its own pace which in fact makes it very realistic and believeable.

In the lead roles you find Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day who makes a fine performance as a mittle age father facing the cruel realities of living in a "ordinary world". Joe Armstrong clearly reveales his talent as an actor. Also Selma Blair playing his wife Karen and Madisyn Shipman who plays their oldest daugther does really fine performances.

A fine movie about growing older, how to be parrents and last but not least finding out about the things that truely matters to us all.

A so-so look into the life of an ageing punk rocker

[MrDHWong · 6/10 · 17 May 2017]

Ordinary World is a comedy drama starring Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong in his first leading role. Written and directed by Lee Kirk (The Office), the film is a so-so look into the life of an ageing punk rocker and features a fun acting turn from the lead singer and guitarist of Green Day.

In 1995, Perry Miller (Billie Joe Armstrong) was the frontman of a popular punk rock band "The Skunks". Fast forward to 20 years later and Perry now works at his family's hardware store with his younger brother Jake and is married with two children. As he approaches 40, Perry feels like he is having a midlife crisis and tries to reignite his passion for playing music, despite his adult responsibilities constantly getting in the way.

The film is a typical midlife crisis affair and offers little to the audience that hasn't been seen before. It plays off more as a means to get Billie Joe Armstrong's acting career started. Billie Joe, however, is actually quite a good leading man and he manages to give a convincing performance as an ageing former punk rocker and thankfully adds enough of his on-stage quirkiness to prevent the film from becoming boring. There are some nice scenes of his character trying to come to terms with not being "cool" with today's younger music fans and told to "get a real job" by his in-laws. The songs, both composed exclusively for this film and some older music from Green Day, are nice additions to the soundtrack and certainly suit the overall tone of the movie.

I rate it 6/10

A Billie Joe Fan here

[tonik_2000 · 6/10 · 30 March 2021]

I just wanted to say that the only person I liked in this movie was Billie Joe. Actually the only THING I liked about this movie was Billie Joe. I didn't like the story or ANY of the other actors. Billie Joe did a really good job acting. I wanted to punch Fred Armisen in the face and I'm usually a big fan of his. Judy Greer was annoying as always and needs to keep her paws off Billie Joe please. I didn't even like his wife and kid but the talent scene with her on stage touched my heart. It's not much of a movie but if you're a Green Day or Billie Joe Armstrong fan you'll like watching it anyways.