Running on Empty (1988 film)
Updated: 12/20/2025, 2:17:22 PM Wikipedia source
Running on Empty is a 1988 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Naomi Foner and starring River Phoenix, Judd Hirsch, Christine Lahti, and Martha Plimpton. It was produced by Lorimar Film Entertainment. It is the story of a counterculture couple on the run from the FBI, and how one of their sons starts to break out of this fugitive lifestyle. It marked the second time that Phoenix and Plimpton played romantic interests, having previously co-starred in the film The Mosquito Coast (1986). The film received two nominations at the 61st Academy Awards (Best Supporting Actor for Phoenix and Best Original Screenplay for Foner) and five nominations at the 46th Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Screenplay. Plimpton was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture.
Infobox
Directed by
Sidney Lumet
Written by
Naomi Foner
Produced by
mw- Griffin DunneAmy Robinson
Starring
Christine Lahti Judd Hirsch Martha Plimpton River Phoenix Steven Hill
Cinematography
Gerry Fisher
Edited by
Andrew Mondshein
Music by
Tony Mottola
Productioncompanies
Lorimar Film Entertainment Double Play
Distributed by
Warner Bros.
Release date
September 9, 1988 (1988-09-09)
Running time
116 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$7 million
Box office
$2.8 million
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Supporting Actor
Nominee(s)
River Phoenix
Result
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen
Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen
Award
Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen
Category
Naomi Foner
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Award
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Category
Christine Lahti
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Award
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Category
River Phoenix
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Award
Best Director – Motion Picture
Category
Sidney Lumet
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Award
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Category
Naomi Foner
Nominee(s)
Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Award
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Category
Best Actress
Nominee(s)
Christine Lahti
Result
Won
National Board of Review Awards
National Board of Review Awards
Award
National Board of Review Awards
Category
Top Ten Films
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Category
River Phoenix
Nominee(s)
Won
PEN Center USA Literary Awards
PEN Center USA Literary Awards
Award
PEN Center USA Literary Awards
Category
Screenplay
Nominee(s)
Naomi Foner
Result
Won
Young Artist Awards
Young Artist Awards
Award
Young Artist Awards
Category
Best Family Motion Picture – Drama
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film
Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film
Award
Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film
Category
Martha Plimpton
Nominee(s)
Nominated
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | River Phoenix | Nominated |
| Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen | Naomi Foner | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | |
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Christine Lahti | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | River Phoenix | Nominated | |
| Best Director – Motion Picture | Sidney Lumet | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Naomi Foner | Won | |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Christine Lahti | Won |
| National Board of Review Awards | Top Ten Films | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actor | River Phoenix | Won | |
| PEN Center USA Literary Awards | Screenplay | Naomi Foner | Won |
| Young Artist Awards | Best Family Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | |
| Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film | Martha Plimpton | Nominated | |
References
- "AFI|Catalog"http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/59101
- Box Office Mojohttp://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=runningonempty.htm
- Politicohttps://www.politico.com/story/2008/10/ayers-script-hopes-to-gain-from-obama-014321
- Seven Types of Exiguityhttps://books.google.com/books?id=1qKqcD3VMi0C&q=%22running+on+empty%22+%22university+of+wisconsin%22&pg=PA187
- Chicago Sun-Timeshttps://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/running-on-empty-1988
- The New York Timeshttps://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DE0DF103CF93AA3575AC0A96E948260
- Newsweek
- "Running on Empty"https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/running_on_empty/
- Metacritichttps://www.metacritic.com/movie/running-on-empty
- Far Outhttps://faroutmagazine.co.uk/akira-kurosawa-100-favourite-films-list/
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scienceshttp://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-29-mn-2019-story.html
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-12-ca-187-story.html
- "Awards for 1988". National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083539/http://www.nbrmp.org/awards/past.cfm?year=1988
- "PEN Center USA: Winners"https://web.archive.org/web/20161013053644/https://www.penusa.org/awards/winners
- Young Artist Awardshttps://web.archive.org/web/20130116181906/http://www.youngartistawards.org/presidents.html