The Big Empty - Press Archive - LA Weekly Review

Source: LA Weekly
Nov 21-27, 2003

Starving actor John Person (Jon Favreau) is holed up in a California desert

town, waiting for a mysterious stranger known as Cowboy (Sean Bean), who’s

supposed to give him 24 grand in exchange for a bright-blue suitcase, contents

unknown. John keeps missing the rendezvous, though, because he’s distracted

by the colorful local citizenry, particularly the voluptuous Ruthie (Rachael Leigh

Cook), her jealous boyfriend (a scene-stealing Adam Beach) and a couple of

sunbaked UFO-conspiracy nuts. Writer-director Steve Anderson, a CNN

cameraman making his feature debut, has a flair for sweet-hearted, love-

starved characters, which may be what convinced reliable vets such as Daryl

Hannah, Bud Cort and Kelsey Grammer to take small roles. More amiable than

laugh-out-loud funny, the film pokes along, buoyed by the motel’s bright

Hawaiian color scheme, and a moonlit desert finale that’s awfully pretty,

even if it doesn’t satisfactorily explain that blue bag. As for Favreau, it’s a

good thing he’s recently hit the big time as a director (Elf), because as an

actor he’s not exactly energizing — John remains a dullard, even after the

blue-bag aliens (or whatever) have infused his inner emptiness with soul.

(Chuck Wilson)

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