Running on Empty

Directed by Sidney Lumet, Running on Empty follows River Phoenix’s Danny Pope as he attempts to make a life for himself in spite of his parents’ (Judd Hirsch’s Arthur and Christine Lahti’s Annie) ongoing efforts at evading the authorities. (The two were responsible for blowing up a school laboratory in the 1970s as an act of protest.) Filmmaker Lumet, working from Naomi Foner’s screenplay, delivers an overlong yet thoroughly satisfying drama that grows more and more involving as it progresses, with the picture’s opening stretch hindered by an almost breathtakingly deliberate pace that prevents the viewer from wholeheartedly connecting to the characters and their lackadaisical exploits. It’s clear, then, that Running from Empty benefits substantially from the top-tier efforts of its various performers, as Phoenix and his top-notch roster of costars turn in stellar work that goes a long way towards keeping things interesting throughout – with, in addition, the growing emphasis on unexpectedly engrossing scenes and sequences paving the way for an increasingly spellbinding second half (eg Annie meets with her estranged father, Danny confesses the truth to his girlfriend, etc). By the time the completely compelling and entirely rewarding final half hour rolls around, Running on Empty has undoubtedly cemented its place as a better-than-average endeavor that boasts one of Phoenix’s most accomplished performances.

***1/2 out of ****