Running on Empty
Through a long and illustrious career, the late Sidney Lumet managed to craft a number of cinematic masterpieces during his half a century in the business. Era-defining films like Dog Day Afternoon, Network and 12 Angry Men may have predominantly cropped up in his eulogies, but this 1988 feature is one of his best. An absolutely heart-breaking, yet life-affirming look at family displacement, it’s capped by a remarkable, unaffected performance from the hugely talent River Phoenix.
The story of a former activist couple on the run from the FBI and trying to maintain a normal upbringing for their two teenage sons is as honest and heart-felt as you could wish for in such a film. Lumet brings his considerable skills of directing actors to the fore, and there is nary a false moment throughout.
Phoenix was rightly nominated for an Academy Award as best supporting actor for his role in the film, while Naomi Foner (mother of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, trivia fans) was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
