Running on Empty
They chose their lives. Now their son must choose his.
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Produced by Double Play, Lorimar Film Entertainment
A tense family drama about idealism's cost, where a son's coming-of-age and first love collide with his parents' fugitive life and political convictions.
The Popes are a family who haven't been able to use their real identity for years. In the late sixties, the parents set a weapons lab afire in an effort to hinder the government's Vietnam war campaign. Ever since then, the Popes have been on the run with the authorities never far behind. Their survival is threatened when their eldest son falls in love with a girl, and announces his wish to live his life on his own terms.
Clusters
Where to watch
Questions people ask
Is Running on Empty sad? Yes. More sad than 82% of films.
Is Running on Empty easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Does Running on Empty end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Is Running on Empty violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Is Running on Empty scary? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Distinctly its own thing.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Everything like Running on Empty, and what each one shares →
Like Running on Empty
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Running on Empty
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Running on Empty, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Running on Empty, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Running on Empty, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
