During the publishing of Akira Kurosawa’s posthumous book, A Dream Is a Genius, his daughter Kazuko Kurosawa formed a detailed list of 100 films that constituted his favorites, one of the most modern of which was the surprising 1988 River Phoenix gem Running on Empty.
Though references to LSD from Danny’s father, Arthur, as well as the family’s affinity for rock music, are touched upon throughout, what defines these ex-hippies is their lives on the run. Arthur is only given updates on his family through an illusive underground network who early on in the film, inform him that his mother’s been dead for two weeks.
The film presents a critical point in Phoenix’s all-too-brief career in which he transitioned into more adult material. In spite of the fact that he played the unquestionable lead, he was curiously placed into the Best Supporting Actor category at the 61st Academy Awards which, at 18, made him the sixth-youngest nominee. However, fans of the actor will know that the man was uniquely qualified for this particular role.