Watch it at Amazon
30 out of 33 people found the following comment useful :- the first film that made me cry, 15 November 2004 Author: nighthawk216 (erik@beck.org) from Arlington, MA
I saw this movie when it was first released on video and was astounded that it was not nominated for Best Picture over lesser fare like Working Girl. I was 14 at the time and the conclusion of the movie was the first time I ever cried while watching a film. It's been 16 years and only four other movies have had that affect on me (Shadowlands, Philadelphia, In America, Return of the King). Watching it with my wife tonight (her first time seeing it) and I still cried at the conclusion.This movie, more than any other, even Stand By Me, makes me miss the adult actor that River Phoenix might have become. We have been lucky enough to see the fine actors that Sean Penn, Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise have become, but River might havesurpassed them all. He most assuredly had the potential.I have seen thousands of movies now, have devoted myself to watching every film by 100 great directors (even the horrible ones) and Sidney Lumet has rewarded me as I have re-watched such classics as Network, 12 Angry Men and Serpico, but this might be his best film. Christine Lahti's performance is letter on perfect and she should have won the Oscar (wasn't nominated). I am glad the Academy got the two most important nominations correct: River and the screenplay.This is a perfect movie for teens as they can understand the growing pains that River's character is going through and a perfect movie for adults as well, as they can understand what is threatening to tear the family apart.
27 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :- So underrated, 24 January 2002 Author: P00H-7 from Toronto
When I was 16, I used to hang out with a tough crowd and my best friend at the time was a real trouble maker, we would always get into fights with other guys our age and sometimes men, and he was a really tough kid, anyway one night he calls me and tells me that he watched the saddest movie he had ever seen, he said it was the first time he actually cried since he saw E.T. I was laughing at him continuously, until I watched it and got so profoundly effected by it that even thinking about that last scene makes my eyes water. I really feel that this film was a major catalyst for many changes I made during my progression from teenager to young adult.Running on Empty is quite an achievement in filmmaking, it is as real a film as you could watch and everyone involved should be absolutely proud of it. River Phoenix will forever be missed.
21 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :- a heartbreaking and wonderful film, 16 November 2004 Author: blanche-2 from United States
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
This is a beautifully told story. Like one of the posters stated, it seems crazy to reiterate what everyone else has said.This film appealed to me because it concerns the protests that went on in my college days. For me, it's a story about how the choices one makes can change your life, haunt you forever, and affect those you love. The best scene in the movie, as far as I'm concerned, was between Christine Lahti and Steven Hill, who plays her father. Steven Hill has always been a favorite of mine, and in this film, he is magnificent as he comes face to face with a daughter he hasn't seen in years - and to boot, the last time she saw him, she insulted him. The scene is powerful, but what happens when Lahti leaves the restaurant is unexpected and will break your heart. It's unforgettable.There aren't any easy answers in life, and this movie won't leave you with an easy feeling. But you'll be glad you saw it.
22 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :- A joy to watch, every time., 7 September 2002 Author: Euphorbia from Oregon
I have dozens of movies on videotape, but if I could only keep one, Running on Empty would be it. I've lost count how many times I've watched it. It works on every level. Emotionally, you cannot help caring about the characters, all of them. The premise, living "underground" in ordinary American suburbia, is brilliant and instantly engaging. The story, coming of age on the lam, flows effortlessly, with hardly a slow spot, and keeps me engaged, even after umpteen viewings. The romance, of love and loss and dedication, brings a tear every time, even just thinking about the birthday party as I write this.Plus -- I was a 'red diaper baby' who became a conservative republican 35 years ago, and this film touches every button of my past. A lot of those reds were, in person, truly decent people, just a bit deranged and extremely delusional and dogmatic, all of which Judd Hirsch conveys with perfect pitch. No special FX, pretty tame action (mostly involving music and dancing), only six main characters, but a great entertaining and inspirational film.Rated 9.9 out of 10, in case something better ever comes along.P.S. I just got the DVD. Even better than the tape. Elsewhere I have read complaints about its technical quality, but I can see nothing wrong with it.
16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :- Sensitive, Touching Film, 29 January 2000 Author: jjh6519 from United States
Possibly the finest and most underappreciated film by Sidney Lumet, this movie has moments which grab you by the throat -- they are so powerful. The cast, which is outstanding (Judd Hirsch, Christine Lahti, and River Phoenix in particular), is part of the reason for its power. The characters are totally convincing. The young man played by River Phoenix is someone we must sympathize with: his dilemma is a lifelong choice between never seeing his loved ones again or continuing to grow as a very talented pianist. The choice is agonizing, and the ending is sure to bring tears to many eyes of people who are part of a close-knit family. One scene is particularly powerful and makes me tear up every time I watch it: The luncheon meeting between Annie, the mother (Christine Lahti) and her father, played by Steven Hill. The dialog during this scene is so convincing, and the acting is perfect. But River Phoenix is the main reason to see this beautiful film, and this simply underscores the tragedy of his death at an early age. He had already proved he was a talent of considerable promise with in Stand By Me and in Mosquito Coast. I fully recommend this film to all thinking people with feelings about the inevitable conflict between family and individuality. This is a small film -- what I call "a little gem" -- most of which are small budget films with great acting and centered around the subjects of families and their values. Also see Crossing Delancey, another "little gem".
13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :- Fantastic **possible spoilers**, 13 June 2001 Author: undecided_b_itch from Singapore
I watched this 5 times in four days. "Running On Empty" is a moving family drama told through the point of view of Danny Pope, aka Michael Manfield, aka Richard McNally (sp?), played by the very talented and lamented River Phoenix. It's not hard to see why he got an Oscar nomination for this role, but I find it insane that he didn't get the award. His portrayal of Danny was simply touching. Danny is loyal and sometimes awkward boy (notice the way he stumbles when he tosses the bike into the bushes in the first few scenes); he is also musically-gifted. The way he plays the piano is astounding. The audition scene is one of my favourites."Running On Empty" has a lot going on for it: a good though slightly flawed script, talented actors (Phoenix, Christine Lahti, Judd Hirsch and Martha Plimpton), and BEAUTIFUL music. Also, how often do you have movies involving teen romance that don't make it into something cheesy and unbelievable? Everything Danny does for Lorna (Martha Plimpton) is believable, right down to the confession scene in the woods. Through his actions it is apparent that Danny is really in love with her, but can't be with her because he has to stick with his family. That alone is enough to bring tears to anyone's eye: his dedication to his family and his willingness to give up himself for them. Another great scene is when the Pope family and Lorna are all singing and dancing to James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" (great song). I think there is a reason why the song was played at the end again. So in short, "Running On Empty" is simply fantastic. If you haven't seen it, you don't know what you're missing.
14 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :- Doesn't make the mistake of glorifying crime, 19 January 2003 Author: SnobbyDude from Connecticut
This is a fantastic movie. Definitely one of the 5 best I've seen in recent memory. Someone that wrote a review here felt that the two parents are placed upon a pedestal by the film makers, but I don't think this is the case at all. They are accountable for their actions and know what they did was wrong. They have to pay for their actions throughout their lives and will likely turn themselves in as soon as they can be assured that their kids will be safe. The kids are the ones I feel sorry for, not the parents.I think the main point of the movie is to make people aware of how the actions/decisions they make can hurt other people, including themselves. People often make rash decisions without thinking about the long term consequences their actions cause for themselves and other people.
14 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :- A Well-Acted, Powerful Story, 24 May 2006 Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States
I thought this was a powerful movie about '60s radicals on the lam for 14 years and a crisis that develops when the family's 17-year-old son is talented enough to enter Juliard School Of Music which means , because of identity problems, they may never see him again. Judd Hirsch and Christine Lahti play the husband and wife and River Phoenix and Jonas Abry are their kids.There is excellent acting in this film and particularly by young Phoenix. The story shows us a good portrait of what it must be like to live in hiding. Politically, people will view this movie as they think (conservative or liberal) because it could be viewed a number of ways.To me, it showed the worst of what could have happened to young people in the '60s who believed they were doing the right thing but broke the law....and paid the consequence. The sad part, as this shows so vividly, is how it affects the rest of the family and others. I think the most powerful scene in the film is when Lahti meets her dad after 14 years in hiding: very, very emotional stuff and one of the most intense short talking scenes I've ever seen on film.
9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- River Phoenix at his best., 4 January 2000 Author: gsprods from Newport Beach, California
The best reason to watch this film is of course the performance by River Phoenix, which now that he's dead, we will never know if he could have topped this. He was one of the youngest actors ever nominated for an Oscar. Another reason to watch the film is Christine Lahti from Chicago Hope who gives her best screen performance here. She won the Los Angeles Film Critic's award for Best Actress of 1988 and received a Golden Globe nomination but unfortunately she must have just missed when they announced who the five finalists were for the Oscar. She has two scenes in this film where she just tore my heart out, including one with Steven Hill from Law And Order who plays her father. The movie did get an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and made many top ten lists, including Roger Ebert's. Although it wasn't a box office hit, I believe it will be remembered as one of Director Sidney Lumet's best films and certainly the best one to watch if you want to remember why the talented actor River Phoenix's death was so tragic.
12 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :- Some great acting, a troubled plot, 9 November 2003 Author: me43 from Texas
On TV, in the late 1980's, "Roseanne" and "Punky Brewster" gave us back-talking, disrespectful kids and anti-hero parental figures. The ratings went through the roof so the media started catering to the lowest common denominator on TV and in films. It has never looked back. I remember seeing this film in the 80's and distinctly thinking it was a harbinger of things to come. At the time it was shocking to hear the profane words coming out of the mouth of a beloved "Taxi" figure. (Judd Hirsch) Now profanity in place of dialogue has become the norm, and strings of curse words are used to convey deep emotion. This film helped start the trend for films with expected younger audiences.Hirsh plays an "Abbie Hoffman" type in the film and a drunken nod is given to Hoffman's crisis of self. Of course, it is no wonder, as Abbie Hoffman had recently come out of hiding. The joke was... no one really cared. (I clearly recall a lampoon in the paper about Hoffman coming out of hiding and jokes about no one knowing who he was. "Wasn't he in Kramer vs Kramer" it read.) Had Hoffman not come out of hiding, I doubt this film would have been made. (I doubt he would have killed himself, as well.)Knowing that the FBI had lost a lot of interest in old radicals by the time it was filmed made the subject matter more palatable to the studios while still seeming "hip." The actors perform well but the character of the parents were nearsighted and selfish for most of their lives, and the ending can't really undo that much damage. Thankfully, though, the mother truly loves her sons and she does her best to give her elder son some type of stability in an unstable situation. The younger son seems a throwaway in the plot.The film has more than its share of ugliness (The sleazy blond radical is disgusting) and Martha Plimpton's character is annoying more often than not. Some scenes are beautiful in the extreme, where truths are revealed. River's loyalty seems to mirror his real life experiences, once again. His character struggles to do right when all he has been raised with is wrong. If you live with a lie every moment of your life, your psyche will fracture. Phoenix does a credible job of bringing that fact to our attention as he struggles to find balance. He is both wizened and youthful in the role. Unfortunately it has become impossible to watch the actor through pristine lenses - hindsight being what it is. He was one of the greatest actors ever filmed, and like Hoffman, he has become forgotten in less than 10 years by any but true fans.
Add another comment
