Running On Empty Dreams Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Are you moving toward something or running away from something?
Nothing's wrong with falling in love with a single mom...unless you're a married woman.
Young and athletic Sydney Harris (Kathleen Benner) finds out that she has six months to live unless she and her husband (Jose Rosete) can come up with the money for her medical treatment. Sounds simple enough; get the money, save her life. But her underpaid, working class husband can't afford the treatment. And time is ticking away. As Sydney begins to seek out a means to save her life, she begins to question her existence and does some soul searching, only to find herself falling in love with a single mom (Rachel Owens) in the neighborhood that Sydney and her family have just moved into. Sydney is then forced to choose between her religious upbringing, her husband and son, and a love that she hides, all while fighting a losing battle to save her own life.
| Kathleen Benner | Sydney Harris |
| Rachel Owens | Jane Smith |
| Jose Rosete | Corey Harris |
| Wil Rillero | Matt Harris |
| Sevan McBride | Tony Smith |
| Gilbert Andrews | Brick Lifting Claimant |
| Josh Gordon | Club Dancer |
| John Brown | Church Goer |
| McKinley Clemonts Jr. | Drs. Office Visitor and Church Goer |
| McKinley Clemonts Sr. | Church goer |
| J. Carmichael Cotton | Stereo Buyer |
| Travis Hansen | Gay Guy in Park #2 |
| Nitara Lee Osbourne |
4.90 out of 10 (59 votes)
Visitor Reviews
homosexuality is bad, but Jesus can help you
posted on 31 Aug 2009I agree with all the negative statements made by other reviewers about the bad acting, the bad script, the bad music, etc; this is the most preposterous movie I've seen in a long time. There's no way it's worth even one star. But the worst part to me is the message that being a lesbian is bad, but if you are a lesbian, Jesus can help you. That stood out to me like a sore thumb because there simply was no other reason for the Christian lesbian to be in the movie. It wasn't a blatant message, but it certainly wasn't subtle either. And it was like the final nail in the movie's coffin.
(I don't know anything about the writer; if she's a lesbian, she DEFINITELY needs to find another line of work!)
There are better films on the same topic
posted on 31 Aug 2009A film about a woman who leaves her traditional, heterosexual marriage to find love and happiness in the arms of another woman is not new. Lianna (1983) dealt with this topic as did Desert Hearts (1985). Of these three films, "Running on Empty Dreams" is the least. That is not, however, to say that it is entirely without merit. But there are significant flaws.
"Running on Empty Dreams" begins when Sydney Harris (Kathleen Benner) is diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Her doctor informs her that her condition is treatable, but Sydney and her husband, Corey (Jose Rosete), lack the money to pay for treatment. As Corey works longer hours, Sydney strikes up a friendship with single mother Jane (Rachel Owens), and the two share intimate (in the sense of personal, not necessarily sexual) thoughts, naturally drawing closer.
There are multiple other elements to the film, including a lesbian-turned-evangelical-Christian who tries to prevent Sydney and Jane from forming a relationship, Sydney's efforts to sell a screenplay, Corey's rage, and, of course, the cancer itself. Too many elements pull the film in too many directions, and few of these elements receive satisfactorily in-depth treatment. Worse, they distract from the fundamental issue of Sydney's deteriorating relationship with her husband and son. Other flaws include the frequently too-loud background music, the at times over-the-top acting, and the script itself.
There are some good aspects to the film. Sydney's and Jane's relationship seems genuine, for instance, and the two leads are generally good. Also, this is an independent film (made in three weeks, according to the film's Web site), so some leeway, especially on technical matters, is in order. (And, of course, it's hardly as if big-budget films are without errors. Think of all the errors in Independence Day, for example, but that film seemed to do fairly well at the box office.) Still, though, I'd recommend "Desert Hearts" or "Lianna" for better treatment of similar themes. 2.5 stars.
One star is a gift
posted on 31 Aug 2009The other one-star review by E. Hendrix sums up my thoughts on this film, I would only differ in the use(even loosely)of the term film. As I stated in my comment of E. Hendricx's review, I'm not sure what the four-star reviewer was watching but it couldn't have been this piece of bad acting, editing, directing and writing that this DVD represents.
The title says it all.
posted on 31 Aug 2009Although the story this film (and i use the term film loosely) was based on is worthy to be told, the film itself is filled with sloppy story telling, ancient cliches, and generally bad acting. The film begins in the summer of 2000, this the first indicator of time in the film, also it's the last. The story all to frequently jumps periods of time and story lines, making it hard to decipher any clear message. The film is plagued with amateur indie film errors such as: horrible transitions, overly loud soundtrack, too few script revisions, and no sign of any editing what so ever. That's not even mentioning the simple continuity, factual, and grammatical errors. For example, a deceased character displayed in the casket wearing the clothing in which they died instead of proper burial attire, and the ending text which states "It's estimated that 18% to 35% of lesbians in the United States were EVER married, based on several research studies". I really don't understand how this film could have managed to be released in the state it is in. A few rewrites and a new cast, excluding Rachel Owens as Jane Smith, and this film could be very good, but as is it doesn't even live up to its title.
Soul Seaching
posted on 31 Aug 2009"Running on Empty"
Soul Searching
Amos Lassen
Sydney Harris (Kathleen Brenner) is young and quite athletic but she gets the news that she has only six months to live if she and her husband cannot come up with money for a medical treatment. This would not be difficult if her husband were not underpaid. Time is passing quickly and Sydney tries to find some way to save her life. While she searches she begins to question her existence and surprisingly finds herself falling in love with a single mother, Jane (Rachel Owens) who lives in her neighborhood. Sydney is forced to make a decision--what is more important; her religious upbringing, her husband and her son, or the love she is dealing with as she tries to save her own life? She is quickly overwhelmed with the intensity of her love for Jane and the lustful passion that they share. Now Sydney is faced with a choice between the forbidden love that she craves and the undying love of her husband.
Nitara Osborne wrote the play upon which the movie is based and she produced and cast it as well. Ultimately this is her movie as she directed it as well. It is based on true events and is totally realistic. The acting is fine and the movie is an exercise in what is important.
I knew the problem with this...
posted on 28 Aug 2009...before I'd even checked IMDb.While I was sitting watching the film, after the second time I saw a scene that made me go, "Where on earth did THAT come from!?" (the revelation on the doorstep for one: I knew we'd get to that stage with the actresses but, gosh, lead up to it!) I bet that the writer and director were the same person. And yes they are. It had the same feeling as Maggie and Annie, when you knew that the writer had not allowed themselves to take a step backward, away from the film so they could be objective.Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to like about it:- it's shot in some lovely locations - the acting is pretty good between the two leading actresses with some truly believable scenes - even the flashback scenes of the war hero husband are pretty damn convincingly done.But the cardinal rule of film making has been broken - never allow your audience to come out of their bubble of imagination because once it's burst it's very hard to get back into a film.I just had a feeling that a little distance and honest feedback while deciding what scenes to cut/include/how to make the story progress, would have done this film a lot of favours. In a word: rushed. However, there are a LOT of Hollywoood films with huge budgets that have done worse. *Shrugs*
The worst lesbian film ever made!
posted on 19 Jul 2009Being an out lesbian of 15 years, I've seen most lesbian films made.I can safely say this film was by far the worst I've seen. It was seemingly written by a homophobe who knew nothing about what it means to be a lesbian. As with most mainstream gay films, it seems the best solution to a bad marrige is death; assuming redemption is needed by all gay people. The plot was truly insulting to women and to lesbians; and very predictable.The music was horrendous.The screenplay was wooden and poorly written.The acting was bad, yet to be fair maybe this was due to the poorly written screenplay.The directing was sophomoric, at best.Save your money. Do not rent,and certainly do not buy this film.If possible, do not even waste your time watching this film.
So, I'm at the Blockbuster today with my partner and we liked the DVD cover...BUT
posted on 11 Jul 2009Film making 101:Sorry. I have seen a lot of lesbian themed films and I REALLY WANTED TO LIKE THIS. Don't get me wrong its not the worst film ever made ...but the premise was so confusing!?! The DVD jacket says "Forced to Deny their Feelings" WHAT?! when? Their first kiss was so, ew, cold. no heat. I never once got a feeling these women were "hot" for each other. I never once got the sense that they were attracted to each other. FAULT #1: LOW BUDGET. You can always tell low budget by the long single shots at say, a table, or washing dishes with no cut always. CLOSE UPS could have provided some intimate moments between the 2 women. FAULT #2: WEIRD SCRIPT? (HUGE RELIGIOUS OVERTONES) WHO was this film made for? FAULT #3 : When how and why am I supposed to believe these women both turned lezbo and the way it unfolded was sooooo BAD Made-for-TV awkward and not believable. I found myself with my jaw opened several times yelling out loud "oh hell no that did NOT just happen?!" PLUS: GOOD ACTORS. Rachel Owens, Kathleen Benner and I did like the lead male in particular, Jose Rosete, who was portrayed as a compassionate, loving, hard working guy and not a jerk (as in, say, Thelma and Louise). This I appreciated.PLUS: The kid actors I hope careers continue cuz' they shined for being in an awkward kind of weird lesbian low budget film.KUDOS TO the actress who played "Geri" (I think Amber Ryan)? who played the extreeemely "stereotypical dyke" who although her acting was troubled by the direction or decision of grabbing her crotch (gross) I thought would have been more fun if the character was say, a ghost? or the main characters angel or subconscious or something. Que Sera Sera. In conclusion: A for effort to the director, producer and all involved. BUT DO NOT EXPECT MUCH. THE ARE FAR BETTER Gay films our there. Just hope they keep making 'em.
Unsatisfactory conclusion
posted on 03 Jul 2009An interesting film that is mildly titillating but ultimately leaves you less than satisfied.Although supposedly based on a true story one wonders just how much truth since it seemed so implausible at times. Do attractive and educated women really marry Marines? Okay not much cerebral empathy but who knows. What about the Rachel Owens character who saves Sydney with her 'Kiss of Life' but then who waits patiently to be seduced by her. What!! There was no dialogue to indicate that either of them had been in a lesbian relationship before only a "I wanted to kiss you the first time I saw you". The ending was as if this low budget film was down to its last dollar.One could imagine Sydney being filmed at her writing retreat with the producer furiously drawing his hand across his throat.Pity he hadn't done it earlier.
what if factor......
posted on 26 May 2009Paying attention to a film, a story and an experience like this can work wonders on what it is you look for in your idea of entertainment.The story weighs you down. A lot going on with our lead couple. Some problems I can relate to. Money problems, stress and being married in general. More stress, more stress and more stress. Makes sense when a couple of other things come into play. A family dealing with cancer is something that can be devastating. There is no "what if" there. Relating to most of the above is like waking up every morning.Now what if someone else, a threat, enters your situation and makes it worse? Another woman on the verge of taking away your wife, your family, your life as you once knew it.It can get worse and it does get worse.Sidney didn't know what she was getting into. Her fate wasn't meant to be, but it's as if she was almost set up to find herself in this situation. She had enough pain in her life. Everything she went through, what if she enjoyed it that much until the very end? Corey did everything he could to help. Or did he? What if he did more? Of course he could have done more. Jane doesn't get anything. She doesn't get one ounce of pity from me. What if Jane lived on a different street. What would have happened to this family that already had enough to deal with on a daily basis? I loved the acting. The music was a little all over the place. Very independent. Good movie.
Out of the closet
posted on 24 May 2009I'm going to go with the "I have a friend"...Crisp and clean. Very nice camera work. Great performances from the three leads, and the butch. It could have had a bit more interaction with the kids involved. When you think about something like this actually going down, I think the majority of the viewers main interest out there is what the experience is like from children's side of things.A story about love, twisted love, with a twist. A scripted view from someone on the inside, or on the outside looking in very closely. How does a women hide her feelings, her true feelings? She keeps them bottled up until she's about to burst, like most of us would! I "have a friend" who's a gay male, on the verge of coming out for the closet. Though he's not married with a son. A new start, a new place, and another problem to make things a little tricky for the relationship(s).Not much going on with the special features. As much as I liked the behind the scenes, it wasn't enough. It could of taken advantage of this type of story that I'm sure is going on quite often in this time and day to really talk about how these experiences effect people. This movie was made to stand out, and it does. But I wanted more out of what, how And why the film was made, by the people who made it. Very disappointed the special features aren't packed to the max with more information!
Kind of realistic
posted on 31 Aug 2009I didn't expect much from this movie after I read all the bad reviews, but I have to say I really liked this movie. Certainly it is not a typical Hollywood Blockbuster - but to me it seemed quite authentical. The actresses are gorgeous and the performance is ok for an indie movie. 4 stars because I think the subplot is a bit ham and sometimes too long without any particular meaning.