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Parents' Guide to

Running on Empty

By Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Wraps around your heart and squeezes.

Movie PG-13 1988 116 minutes
Running on Empty Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

EvanReviews
EvanReviews Adult
August 15, 2009
age 13+

Perfect Drama for Teens and Adults

I thought it was a good movie. 3/5. Only thing parents should watch out for is in one scene he says the F word about 7 times :)
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

A 1970s protest bombing made his parents fugitives, but after a decade and a half, Danny Pope is tired of running. Arthur and Annie Pope (Judd Hirsch and Christine Lahti) run from the past, namely from their part in the 1971 activist bombing of a napalm lab that the FBI is hot to nail them for. Their elder son, Danny (River Phoenix), who's been part of their fugitive life since age 2, doesn't want to run anymore. He wants to quit changing schools, his name, the color of his hair. He wants to go to college and study the piano. He's told he has great promise. Danny's also in love with his music teacher's daughter, Lorna (Martha Plimpton) and can't bear to think of their inevitable separation. His parents sympathize, but to cut him loose is to risk never seeing him again, or at best to see him only rarely, through risky secret meetings. The choice is too agonizing for Danny to make on his own.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (3 ):

RUNNING ON EMPTY starts off pretty slow, but once you accept the characters and their particular situation, the movie starts coming fully to life, wrapping itself around your heart and squeezing. Hard. Sure they're fleeing the law, but the Popes do it cleverly, peacefully, and ultimately with their lads' best interests in mind. The performances are good and the story a compelling and original one, but the characters take a while to warm up to. Sydney Lumet's tale of a boy who must choose between his family and a life of his own builds slowly to something passionate, admirable, and refreshingly original.

The film's greatest strength comes from the thoroughly believable relationship between Danny and Lorna. Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Danny. All of the FBI and activism stuff is just frosting and rosettes; these two are the real cake of the movie. College-bound teens will identify with Danny, a strong central character who, on a grander scale, is experiencing something we all go through in the course of growing up: making life-changing decisions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the coming-of-age stories. What sort of conflicts do kids usually face in a story about making the bumpy transition from childhood to adulthood? Can you think of other such stories, either in books, in movies, or on television? How do they compare to this one? Does this movie seem like a typical coming-of-age story?

Movie Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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