On R List of Movie Reviews
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Running on Empty (1988)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
6/05, 7/20, 2/25
6/05:
River Phoenix had never been as outstanding as he was in Running on Empty.
What a great story with lots of endearing performances. Sidney Lumet is a master director.
All in all, Running on Empty is a must-see for everybody, not just River Phoenix's fans.
7/20:
Interesting story, great performances, and fine direction all make Running on Empty a moving picture to watch.
River Phoenix was a precocious actor for a seventeen-year-old boy, and he gave the performance of his career as
Danny Pope, resulting in a much-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. I have to say it's a leading
role because the picture follows where his character goes. River Phoenix has several touching scenes, especially
in the last thirty minutes.
Being shut out of the opportunity to attend a prestigious university like Juilliard because of the felony crime
his parents committed over fifteen years ago isn't fair to Danny. It's the ultimate price they must pay:
giving up normal contact with him just like they did with their relatives; otherwise, they'll have to turn
themselves in and serve time. Danny's father may be selfish, but he means well; ultimately, he came to his senses
and let Danny go, thus the powerful ending.
Aside from River Phoenix, there are many strong performances coming from Judd Hirsch, Christine Lahti, Martha
Plimpton, Jonas Abry (which is the first of only two films he ever appeared in; he currently teaches high school
English), and Steven Hill. At one point, River expressed desire for a sequel to Running on Empty which
would've been a smart idea because I would be interested in seeing what happened to everybody afterwards. By the way,
the writer of the Oscar-nominated screenplay is Naomi Foner who's Jake Gyllenhaal's mother. And no, River Phoenix
didn't play the piano; it was done by somebody else.
All in all, if people say River Phoenix was so good in
My Own Private Idaho, I'll shoot back at them with "But have you ever
seen Running on Empty?"
2/25:
Sidney Lumet gets the best out of everybody in Running on Empty while River Phoenix reminds me of James Dean.