Running On Empty

Few minutes into the movie, I felt the movie was a bit dull, it did not catch my attention, however, when the story progressed, it was not so bad after all. Running on Empty is a good story for families, because it shows perseverance, respect towards the elders, disciplinary, individual responsibility as members of the family, and the trials and tribulations of a teenage life while being a fugitive.

There were a few scenes from the movie that I found interesting. Firstly, on how effortlessly the family communicates. This can be seen as how Arthur Pope speaks openly with their children, and even though he is a strict father, he still maintains healthy communication within the family unit. I believe, communication is essential in every family, and in this movie, I think communication was the glue that was keeping everything together, because just imagine, if Danny, the eldest son, was a rebel? Imagine if Arthur did not get involved in his son’s life? And not giving him life lessons that could be beneficial in the future? But, that is not the case in this movie, for example, as a scene goes by when Danny points out how his dad had thought him how to question authority, few scenes where they would have conversations in the kitchen during meal preparations, and when Arthur asked openly if Danny is sleeping with his girlfriend Lorna. Secondly, the scene when Annie Pope meets her father after 14 years. We can see the build up of emotions from both parties. Apart from the emotions, we can see a mother’s cry for help and her sacrifice, as she wanting to save a teenager’s life, so that he can have a better one, even if it takes not seeing him for a long time.

A few aspects caught my attention, namely, the type of parenting styles the family possesses, the culture of American families and how it differs with Asians, and most importantly, the function of the family as a unit. Throughout the movie, I believe both parents uphold an authoritative parenting style. Even though they have rules to comply, the parents had a give and take policy, is responsive, and more forgiving unlike the authoritarian parenting style. Next would be how the culture of American families differ from Asians, few scenes that depicted this would be again, as mentioned earlier, on how Arthur asked Danny if he is sleeping with Lorna. This is very, very rare in the Asian culture, maybe because it is terribly awkward to ask such questions, but I wonder why. Finally, the function of the family as a unit. The Pope’s are fugitives, and they were trying their best to make ends meet, for example, the father getting clothes from the thrift shops, the mother eventually found a job to contribute to the family, and the sons being the most obedient children I have ever seen. They work together to stay as a unit, they respect each other, have good communications, and know that families should stay together to be strong. However, at the end of the movie, the parents decided that holding back their son’s future was selfish, and thus, they let him go on his own, but the assurance of their love, will keep the family together.

To sum up, I believe this movie has many moral values, and can teach us how to be respectful towards our parents, and also, how parents should also treat their children in an egalitarian manner, because compromising is also another key to all relationships.