The Other F Word

In Andrea Blaugrund Nevins' documentary The Other F Word, the director explores the lives of several punk rockers, some who are years removed from their respective heydays and now attempting to be the good fathers that most of them never had. The focus is mainly on Jim Lindberg, former frontman for the skate-punk band Pennywise, and the guilt he feels at having to tour almost 300 days a year instead of spending time with his three daughters. The film is full of latter-day punk icons—Lars Frederiksen of Rancid, Fat Mike of NOFX, Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, among others—as well as some older legends whose candor is admirable and whose love for their families is apparent. It's not every day you get to see Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) or Duane Peters (U.S. Bombs) cry, but both tear up when discussing the impact their children have had on their lives, though the latter's story has a tragic element. Even with a killer soundtrack, the movie is frustratingly disorganized with little narrative structure, despite obvious themes. Nevins evokes a great deal of emotion from the fathers, but the perspectives of the mothers and, to a lesser extent, the children, are disappointingly absent. Like a 35-minute live set, The Other F Word is entertaining and affecting, but leaves its audience wanting more.