''High Road'' is a 2011 American improvised

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Matt Walsh, who co-wrote it with Josh Weiner. The film surrounds a young man whose loyalties are torn between his band, girlfriend, and dealing weed. Attempting to elude arrest after a drug bust, he is accompanied by his teenage runaway neighbor. It stars James Pumphrey,

Abby Elliott Abby Elliott is an American actress and comedian who was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 to 2012 and has since starred on the Bravo comedy ''Odd Mom Out'' and the NBC sitcom '' Indebted''. She is the daughter of actor/comedian ...

Dylan O'Brien Dylan Rhodes O'Brien (born August 26, 1991) is an American actor. His first major role was Stiles Stilinski on the MTV supernatural drama ''Teen Wolf'' (2011–2017), where he was a series regular during all six seasons. He achieved further p ...

, and

Rob Riggle Robert A. Riggle Jr. (born April 21, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and former United States Marine Officer. He is known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show'' from 2006 to 2008; as a cast member on ''Satu ...

. It also premiered at the 2011

Newport Beach Film Festival The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival have permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival beg ...

, where for Matt Walsh's directing, it won an honor for Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking.

Plot

The comedy centers on Glen "Fitz" Fitzgerald ( James Pumphrey), a young man, marijuana dealer, and former rock band drummer living in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. His best friends dropped out of the band, Torigl, three months prior, causing the group to part and him to fall back on selling weed in his garage. He dates Monica (

), who works at a news company, and hangs out with his rebellious teen neighbor, Jimmy (

), who skips school. Fitz also believes in the "triangle theory", where everything in the world can connect in group of threes (a joke ran throughout the film). One day, after Fitz is nearly arrested in a weed bust of one of his clients, he leaves his girlfriend behind and flees to temporarily stay in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

to avoid arrest. Jimmy convinces him to join his trip so he can visit his mother there, as his father James Malone Sr (

) plans to send him to

military school A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

for missing and failing classes. Mistaken for a kidnap, James gets help from a police academy graduate and ally, Officer Fogerty (

Joe Lo Truglio Joseph Vincent Lo Truglio (; born December 2, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, writer and producer. Best known for his role as Charles Boyle on the Fox/NBC sitcom ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'', he also was a cast member on the television series ''T ...

), setting out in search for his son through their own investigation. Along the way, Jimmy attempts to keep Fitz sober, preventing Fitz from smoking. They also plot and successfully switch cars to derail the cops from tracking them by trading vehicles with Fitz's ex-band mates Sheila (

Lizzy Caplan Elizabeth Anne Caplan (born June 30, 1982) is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films ''Mean Girls'' (2004) and ''Cloverfi ...

) and Richie (

Matt L. Jones Matt may refer to: *Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) *Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...

), who have since become a tribute band in

Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...

. Monica has become pregnant with Fitz's child, but encounters a brief affair with her married boss, Barry (

Ed Helms Edward Parker Helms (born January 24, 1974) is an American actor and comedian. From 2002 to 2006, he was a correspondent on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. He played paper salesman Andy Bernard in the NBC sitcom ''The Offic ...

), the latter which she informs Fitz about. Upset Fitz left her behind, she pursues his trail. In the other pursuit, James and Officer Fogerty eventually tracks and catches up to Fitz and Jimmy, who had slept overnight in their van after visiting a diner. They are nearly captured, but Jimmy deflates their car tire and escapes with Fitz. Fitz and Jimmy have a fallout and stop at a roadside, where Jimmy trips and breaks his hand, running back to their vehicle that is being towed. Faking their names, they stop at a clinic, where the peculiar doctor (

Horatio Sanz Horacio Sanz (born June 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Horatio Sanz, is a Chilean-born American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1998 to 2006. Early life Sanz was born on June 4, 1969 in Santi ...

) suspects Fitz has kidnapped and is molesting Jimmy due to his good looks. Once Jimmy has a cast and sling on, however, he leaves with Fitz, taking a taxi ride to a bar named "Berlin" in Oakland. At the bar, Fitz finds his estranged father, Arnie (

Rich Fulcher Richard Fulcher (born November 18, 1968) is an American comedian, actor and author. He played Bob Fossil and other characters in the British comedy series ''The Mighty Boosh'', and Edward Sheath in the American series '' Jon Benjamin Has a Van''. ...

) is the club owner and

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...

performer for the bar, but he thinks low of his dad. His girlfriend Monica turns up there as well and tells him she is pregnant from him, but he rejects the idea of fathering her child since she made out with her boss, before she storms off. Jimmy also admits his mom is dead. Upon the arrival of Jimmy's dad, James, and Officer Fogerty, a confrontation occurs where James attacks Fitz, believing in misinterpreted evidence he kidnapped and raped his son Jimmy. Jimmy opens up telling his dad the truth, thinking poorly of him for not being there to aid his problems, sharing the same feeling as Fitz about his father. However, they all reconcile in the end, with Fitz concluding that having a father rather than none is better. The next day, after turning down a promotion from her boss who ridicules Fitz for trying to make up with her, Monica reconnects with Fitz and the two later care for their newborn child.

Cast

* James Pumphrey as Glen "Fitz" Fitzgerald *

as Monica *

as Jimmy *

as Sheila *

as Arnie *

as Barry *

as Officer Fogerty *

as James Malone Sr *

as the doctor *

as Richie *

Andrew Daly Andrew J. Daly (born April 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He starred as Forrest MacNeil on the Comedy Central series ''Review'', and had a supporting role in the HBO comedy series '' Eastbound & Down'' as Terrence Cutler. H ...

as Mr. Doobin *

Zach Woods Zachary Woods (born September 25, 1984) is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known for his roles as a series regular for three seasons as Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'', as Jared Dunn on the HBO ...

as Tommy

References

External links

* * {{rotten-tomatoes, 771266668, High Road 2011 films 2010s comedy road movies American comedy road movies 2011 comedy films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films