Running on Empty
Sidney Lumet
In 1980s America, a husband and wife who are former pacifist militants are constantly on the run from the FBI following a demonstration which went wrong, and their children have to keep changing both identity and schools. Danny, the elder child, finds himself in a difficult situation when he falls in love with his piano teacher's daughter.
With : River Phoenix, Judd Hirsch, Christine Lahti, Martha Plimpton
Screenplay : Naomi Foner
Image : Gerry Fisher
Editing : Andrew Mondshein
Music : Tony Mottola
Screenplay : Naomi Foner
Image : Gerry Fisher
Editing : Andrew Mondshein
Music : Tony Mottola
Production : Griffin Dunne, Amy Robinson
Distribution: Warner France
Distribution: Warner France
Known as a director of "left-wing" dramas (12 Angry Men, Serpico), Sydney Lumet here shows a certain disillusionment typical of the 1980s, taking over from the idealism and utopia of the 70s. This was the source of the Danny's parents' political position, and its serious consequences on their family life: on the run, the children have to keep silent and the secret becomes a way of life for this close-knit but stifling family cocoon. As is often the case with Lumet, there is a question of transmission and inheritance, and this film represents the passing of the baton between two generations. Once again there is a leitmotif favoured by Lumet in the individual affirming their choice against the opposition of the group, whether it is a family or society as a whole. Despite the bitterness of the period the film carries a message of hope, of a coming renaissance through this talented and sensitive youngster.