This movie tells the story of the Pope family. Arthur and Annie Pope were both liberal rebels in the 1960s, and were responsible for blowing up a napalm lab in 1971 to protest the Vietnam War. A janitor who was not supposed to be there at the time was blinded and nearly paralyzed. Ever since then, they have been on the run from the FBI, having to move cities and change their names and identities about every 3 months.
Both Arthur and Annie realize the implications of what they did, and they are prepared to deal with the consequences of such action. It just so happens that they are the parents of two boys, Danny and Harry, whose lives have been denied a sense of normalcy on account of their parents' past.
The movie focuses on Danny, the handsome 17-year-old that is not only smart, but talented as well. Played by the late River Phoenix, Danny is unwittingly burdened by the sins of his parents. He cannot apply to college because that would mean that he would never see his family again, for continuous surveillance by the FBI would be inevitable once he stops running. After all, his parents are wanted fugitives. What's more, he is prevented from having meaningful relationships with the people he meets at school, since he is rarely at one school for more than a couple of months. Essentially, Danny's life is that of a fugitive as well.
This movie presents us with a fascinating moral choice: As parents, Arthur and Annie must choose between being with their son but limiting his potential, or possibly never seeing him again and allowing him to reach that potential. It is a question of family versus individual freedom and personal growth.
What makes this choice even more difficult is that Danny is genuinely talented at playing the piano. He secretly applies to Julliard and is instantly accepted (pending records from his past high school). We learn that his mom was also a talented piano player who was prevented from joining the ranks of Julliard because of her involvement in the bombing of the lab. Danny's genius is at once his strength, and his weakness: Nurturing it could mean never again seeing the people he loves.
The performances are all superb. Christine Lahti plays Annie Pope with an elegant sense of conflicted conviction. Judd Hirsch plays Arthur Pope with a steadfast reserve and a twist of human sensitivity. River Phoenix is wholly convincing as a melancholic genius, and Martha Plimpton is most at home as the tenacious and sharp-witted Lorna Phillips. This is a great cast that does not disappoint.
Sidney Lumet gives us a movie about the tragic ways people can show love for each other. Sometimes, love means letting go, and moving on. Sometimes it means staying together no matter what the cost. Whatever it may be, Running on Empty teaches us that love and sacrifice are rarely too far apart.
I'd give Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty an A.
"...delivers a powerful, taut, and wholly satisifying experience."
director: sidney lumet
starring: christine lahti, judd hirsch, river phoenix, martha plimpton, donna hanover
