It might be an unfair bit of stereotyping but at face value, Better Start Running feels like a cliched indie – fitted head to toe with an ever-present oddball ensemble cast – taking to the road for an adventure. It follows in the footsteps of Little Miss Sunshine, to be sure, with slightly less gratifying results. However, if you’re smitten with such idiosyncratic road movies, some moments do elicit a certain degree of charm. The key is you must be urging it to succeed rather than waiting for it to floor you.
Our first notable image is of a man talking into a pay phone telling the police something horrible has happened and the girl he’s with had nothing to do with it. Regardless, he has to cut the call short because he’s going on the run. Our slightly air-headed protagonist is Harley (Alex Sharp), an employee at All Shop, a national conglomerate in the mold of Wal Mart, epitomized by a Tower of Twinkies. Truthfully, it had me yearning for the obstreperous escapades of the Buy More crowd from NBC’s Chuck. In comparison, All Shop feels limp and utterly mundane, like a stripped down version of real life, at least until the murder…
Harley is also just about the most benevolent fugitive you could ever have. This plays in his favor. His co-conspirator and love interest Stephanie (Analeigh Tipton), is his equal as far as intellect goes, though she tries to play the part of an aloof beauty. He thinks she is untouchable, rollerblading through the store coolly (a feat first exhibited by Charlie Chaplin on roller skates in Modern Times). His heart yearns to ask her out.
The most obvious antagonist is their manager Dale (co-screenwriter Chad Faust), a total perverted dweeb, and his scenes are about as uncomfortable as can be. He’s positioned himself to take advantage of Stephanie. In fact, Harley bursts in on them amid a mad struggle. The easily conceived archetypes are set in place for our hero to take action. He knows soon enough he’ll be wanted for unwittingly murdering a jerk. Because that’s what happens – kind of. It feels nearly matter-of-fact.
A Family on The Road
But what is a lovers-on-the-run spree without a family? They feel obligated to grab Harley’s ornery grandpa, Garrison (Jeremy Irons), a wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet who scoffs at how wimpy his grandson is. Their other compatriot is a free-spirited, non-conformist named Fitz Paradise (Edi Gathegi), yet another good excuse for another peculiar character to toss into the mix. And yes, they adopt a pug named H.J. It stands for Harley Junior.
Led by Harley’s most prized possession, an America’s Greatest Treasures Map, they take their ramshackle van cross-country, destination: Hartsville Montana, to find Mary Lindon – Garrison’s first love. That is the objective and they’re now on the run from the authorities. Simple enough.
With the outcomes being so predictable and prosaic, the remaining enjoyment of the picture heavily relies on the path it takes us on to get there. Unfortunately, despite a promising menagerie of actors, the parts they play only feel skin deep. They are facile in a way that comes off stiff and a bit miserable.
Likewise, the screenplay is meant to evoke a cross-section of Middle Americana, but it feels loose and never latches onto many inspired ideas. Because one of the fascinating things about the United States is the vastness and variedness of the scenery. But this film takes us along freeways and keeps us mostly inside a car with static character interactions. We don’t need the dialogue as badly as we think.
While not inherently bad, we want to see more of the world outside the door and not just a hork factory, whatever that is. In all fairness, there are momentary pit stops at a roadside wigwam, a giant Paul Bunyan statue, Dinosaur World and a mere glimpse of Devil’s Monument (so prominently featured in Close Encounters of the Third Kind) among other snapshots. Each suggests a passage of time and there is some novelty in each spot but little else. Again, the roadside attractions spliced into mundane musical montages of scenery are mistaken for points of genuine interest.
A Momentary Payoff
The actual payoff comes on the doorstep of a long lost love. Jane Seymour walks out onto the front steps and dashes Garrison’s dreams and for once the movie does something brave. First, it all but destroys what could have been an extended cameo with a beloved actress (it does feel like a bit of a waste). But for once something happens which feels resonant. Here is an old man who has toughened his hide up so as not to get hurt, only to let it down in a single instance – grasping at an old memory and being bruised for it.
If there is anything like a standout moment in Better Start Running, it would be around here as he’s forced to struggle back to the car in his military garb, proudly trying to stave off any sign of weakness even as he has it out with his foster grandson. It gives us a blip of the reputation Jeremy Irons deserves as an actor.
Because here our characters are actually digging into emotions that hurt them deeply. Here are a few stray lies and dreams they have allowed themselves to believe through lifelong self-denial. It’s the most honest, real bit of chemistry we get thus far.
Due to their extenuating circumstances, Harley and Stephanie also missed out on the local Fireman’s Dance, so they have a makeshift dance of their own. Again, it’s one of the movie’s other rewarding scenes. There is momentarily something sweet and vulnerable about it, more than the forced callow awkwardness of their initial characterizations. There is a hint that they might be more like human icebergs, with buried pasts, rather than quirky roles dreamed up for the sake of a story.
Unfortunately, to deliver on its premise, the investigators, Agent McFadden (Maria Bello) and her rookie partner (Karan Soni), must catch up to them eventually. Except these pursuers lack any amount of nuance and we already could care less because it feels inconsequential at best. The film already hit its peak with the old flame visited and our leading couple all but consummating their romance. We don’t need anything more than that and still, we get it.
Better Start Running: Conclusion
Based on what we are provided, there’s just not enough depth or interesting ideas to make the experience terribly rewarding. Though it’s generally unfair to play a comparison game, I tried to gather what made films as diverse as Easy Rider, Paris, Texas, and even Thelma and Louise so indelible.
It’s easy to conclude these iconic road films have a bevy of assets from timeless soundtracks to memorable characters, or evocative cinematography willing to give us a unique perspective of the world. But Better Start Running has some of the same technical components. All movies do. What’s lacking is the execution. It doesn’t dig deep enough into any of these wells. There’s nothing brave about it. It meanders around when a commitment to even one theme or tone would have been most admirable.
What are the core tenets that make a road movie memorable for you? What are some of the most iconic portraits of American society we have captured on film?
Better Start Running had its theatrical release in the U.S. on October 12, 2018.
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