Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rosanna Arquette, Kieran Culkin, Ted Levine, Joss Ackland
Director: Robert Harmon
Producers: Craig Baumgarten and Gary Adelson
Screenplay: Joe Eszterhas, Leslie Bohem, and Randy Feldman
Cinematography: David Gribble
Music: Mark Isham
U.S. Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Jean-Claude Van Damme is Sam, an escaped convict who takes refuge on the land of a pretty, debt- stricken widow named Clydie (Rosanna Arquette). Clydie's son, Mookie (Kieran Culkin), discovers Sam, and the two begin a tentative friendship. Meanwhile, a land developer (Joss Ackland) and his henchman (Ted Levine) plot to drive Clydie off her land so they can use it as part of their new project. When their magnanimous offers to buy are met with icy resistance, they resort to terror, but Sam's presence creates some unexpected complications.
I suppose I should give Nowhere to Run credit for making a legitimate (if inept) attempt at character development. There are numerous scenes whose entire purpose is to build the relationships that form the film's "emotional core": Sam and Clydie; Sam, Mookie, and Bre (Mookie's sister); and Mookie, Bre, and Clydie. Unfortunately, cliches abound, and none of the character interplay contains even a hint of originality. These are stale people interacting in predictable ways. Take Sam, for example. Even though he's a convicted criminal, the script makes sure we realize that he's a really nice guy. Sure, he may have made a mistake in the past, but underneath, he has a heart of gold.
Surprisingly, there isn't much action in Nowhere to Run, at least in comparison to Van Damme's previous films, and this is one of the reasons why the movie misses its mark. Except for a few short bursts here and there, and one extended scene during the climax, the film is mostly talk. And since Van Damme's range as a dramatic actor is marginal at best, this is a problem.
It's apparent that Nowhere to Run's best asset is Rosanna Arquette, who gives Clydie her spirit and energy. Not only is she pleasing to the eyes (a common trait of women in action films), but she can act circles around anyone else in the cast, except perhaps Joss Ackland, but he's on hand just to pick up a paycheck.
In trying to do too much, Nowhere to Run succeeds at too little. Action fans will be disappointed by the amount of talk and the lack of fights. Drama lovers (few of whom will even bother with this movie in the first place) will have a hard time swallowing plot's artificiality. In the final analysis, despite not being a terminal bore, Nowhere to Run doesn't go anywhere worth following.
© 1993 James Berardinelli