August 7, 2024
FILM: RUNNING ON EMPTY
DIRECTED BY: DANIEL ANDRE
STARRING: KEIR GILCHRIST, LUCY HALE, JIM GAFFIGAN
RATING: 2 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
There’s a great set-up to Running on Empty about a company that specializes in giving people their death date based on who they are physically as opposed to any possible accidents. Mortimer, played by Keir Gilchrist, is about to be married to his blonde, money and fame obsessed girlfriend Nicole (Francesca Eastwood – yes, she’s related to Clint) when he is given a death date that is less than a year away. Nicole dumps him and Mortimer uses a dating service to find someone who might want to be with him for his last year.
Mortimer works for the family mortuary (name coincidence?) business run by his Uncle Barry, played by Jim Gaffigan. They specialize in “Adventure Funerals” which promises to make one’s final services a whole lot more fun than tragic. Barry is also highly philosophical about death saying things like, “you can’t control the narrative, the universe sometimes throws curveballs.” Basically, we’re all doomed so why not just accept it.
All of this is fine and potentially the beginnings of a great idea. Unfortunately, this feature-length directorial debut by writer Daniel Andre unravels rather quickly towards the premature death of its promising narrative. There are a couple of sub-plots, for instance, that don’t offer much advancement of any of the film’s major themes. These include an overly extended pursuit of Mortimer by a pimp who feels Mortimer owes him an increasing amount of money (like Steve Buscemi’s character does in Fargo.) Then there’s ex-girlfriend Nicole who returns in a head-scratching scene involving a new boyfriend and a desire for an out of character sexual escapade with Mortimer. The only reason this scene seems to exist is to show off the California blonde’s body emerging in slow motion out of a pool. (Andre no doubt saw Fast Times at Ridgemont High at some point in his young life.) There are other scenes that come across as awkwardly staged, such as a family dinner and a fight encounter which both lack any real degree of pizzazz.
That is also true about some of the performances. Keir Gilchrist (It’s Kind of a Funny Story, It Follows) isn’t given much to do that might show any degree of range as Mortimer. He’s an interesting actor but the character is pretty flat and doesn’t have much of an arc. He wears a suit for most of the film and lives in an essentially black and white apartment. We get it: this is his mortuary life, but we need to see more of his sense of adventure implied by the family business. Eastwood is one of a few actors playing a character that is pretty one dimensional and annoying on screen. Jim Gaffigan is fine as Uncle Barry but he’s really not given enough to do. Also wasted are actors such as Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live) and Dustin Milligan (Schitt’s Creek) who are featured in one or two thankless scenes in which their characters show no real purpose.
The only actor who really shines here is Lucy Hale as rep Kate from the dating service Mortimer visits. She becomes a source of comfort for him during some of his rougher moments. Her physical appearance is reminiscent of a young Katie (coincidence?) Holmes, with a warmth and sparkle that the film sorely needs.
There are a lot of directions this script and film could have gone but it sadly resorts to some unnecessary plot meanderings that take away from something potentially more profound.
Sorry 70s and 80s classic rock fans, Jackson Browne’s hit of the same name isn’t featured anywhere in the film.
Running On Empty opens theatrically this week.
FILM: RUNNING ON EMPTY
DIRECTED BY: DANIEL ANDRE
STARRING: KEIR GILCHRIST, LUCY HALE, JIM GAFFIGAN
RATING: 2 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
There’s a great set-up to Running on Empty about a company that specializes in giving people their death date based on who they are physically as opposed to any possible accidents. Mortimer, played by Keir Gilchrist, is about to be married to his blonde, money and fame obsessed girlfriend Nicole (Francesca Eastwood – yes, she’s related to Clint) when he is given a death date that is less than a year away. Nicole dumps him and Mortimer uses a dating service to find someone who might want to be with him for his last year.
Mortimer works for the family mortuary (name coincidence?) business run by his Uncle Barry, played by Jim Gaffigan. They specialize in “Adventure Funerals” which promises to make one’s final services a whole lot more fun than tragic. Barry is also highly philosophical about death saying things like, “you can’t control the narrative, the universe sometimes throws curveballs.” Basically, we’re all doomed so why not just accept it.
All of this is fine and potentially the beginnings of a great idea. Unfortunately, this feature-length directorial debut by writer Daniel Andre unravels rather quickly towards the premature death of its promising narrative. There are a couple of sub-plots, for instance, that don’t offer much advancement of any of the film’s major themes. These include an overly extended pursuit of Mortimer by a pimp who feels Mortimer owes him an increasing amount of money (like Steve Buscemi’s character does in Fargo.) Then there’s ex-girlfriend Nicole who returns in a head-scratching scene involving a new boyfriend and a desire for an out of character sexual escapade with Mortimer. The only reason this scene seems to exist is to show off the California blonde’s body emerging in slow motion out of a pool. (Andre no doubt saw Fast Times at Ridgemont High at some point in his young life.) There are other scenes that come across as awkwardly staged, such as a family dinner and a fight encounter which both lack any real degree of pizzazz.
That is also true about some of the performances. Keir Gilchrist (It’s Kind of a Funny Story, It Follows) isn’t given much to do that might show any degree of range as Mortimer. He’s an interesting actor but the character is pretty flat and doesn’t have much of an arc. He wears a suit for most of the film and lives in an essentially black and white apartment. We get it: this is his mortuary life, but we need to see more of his sense of adventure implied by the family business. Eastwood is one of a few actors playing a character that is pretty one dimensional and annoying on screen. Jim Gaffigan is fine as Uncle Barry but he’s really not given enough to do. Also wasted are actors such as Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live) and Dustin Milligan (Schitt’s Creek) who are featured in one or two thankless scenes in which their characters show no real purpose.
The only actor who really shines here is Lucy Hale as rep Kate from the dating service Mortimer visits. She becomes a source of comfort for him during some of his rougher moments. Her physical appearance is reminiscent of a young Katie (coincidence?) Holmes, with a warmth and sparkle that the film sorely needs.
There are a lot of directions this script and film could have gone but it sadly resorts to some unnecessary plot meanderings that take away from something potentially more profound.
Sorry 70s and 80s classic rock fans, Jackson Browne’s hit of the same name isn’t featured anywhere in the film.
Running On Empty opens theatrically this week.