Running on Empty
1988 · Movie · PG-13 · 116 min · ★ 7.4 · 74% critics
A family has spent years living under false identities after the parents’ past political act put them on the run. When their oldest child finds a rare chance at love and a future, the pull between staying loyal to family and finally choosing an independent life threatens their fragile stability.
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Details
- Years
- 1988
- Release date
- 1988-09-09
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Critic score
- 74/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.4/10 (353 votes)
- Budget
- $7,000,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a warm, intimate drama about family loyalty, first love, and hard choices under pressure; Not for you if you need fast pacing or big thrills like A Perfect World.
Pros: moving family bonds; strong performances; thoughtful coming-of-age | Cons: slow, drawn-out pacing; narrow story focus; some plot gaps
Themes
- vietnam war
- on the run
- pianist
- hiding
- protestors
- suspenseful
- complicated
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 1989 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 1989 · nominated
Cast & crew
Christine Lahti
as Annie Pope
River Phoenix
as Danny Pope
Judd Hirsch
as Arthur Pope
- JA
Jonas Abry
as Harry Pope
Martha Plimpton
as Lorna Phillips
- EC
Ed Crowley
as Mr. Phillips
L.M. Kit Carson
as Gus Winant
Steven Hill
as Donald Patterson
Augusta Dabney
as Abigail Patterson
David Margulies
as Dr. Jonah Reiff
Directed by Sidney Lumet