I Once Met Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix. But I Was More Interested in River's Girlfriend, Martha Plimpton.
Also, I'm recommending a fantastic movie you've probably never heard of.
I grew up in a working-class city called Tacoma, about thirty miles south of Seattle, and it’s home to a semi-famous local landmark called the Java Jive, which is an old tavern in the shape of a teapot.
One day in the spring of 1989, fresh out of college, I said to some friends, “You know, I’ve lived in Tacoma most of my life, but I’ve never been to the Java Jive. Why don’t we go tonight?”
They thought it was a great idea, and off we went.
The inside turned out to be much more of a dive — and also more interesting! — than I was expecting: half forgotten roadside diner and half 60s-era Tiki bar.
But right after my friends and I sat down in a booth, I recognized the three people in the booth behind us: the actors Keanu Reeves, River Phoenix, and Martha Plimpton.
I was back to back with them. My head was literally two feet from the heads of River and Martha, and Keanu was only a bit farther away, off to one side.
Martha turned — maybe she sensed me staring — and our eyes met. Without thinking, I said, “Martha Plimpton! I’m a huge fan. In fact, just last week, I saw Running on Empty for the third time.”
This was a movie that had come out the year before, and she’d only had a supporting part — River Phoenix was the star. A few months earlier, River had even been nominated for an Academy Award for the role, but he’d lost.
But I really was a fan of Martha’s. She had an adorable dorkiness, like when she’d played Steph in the 1985 camp classic The Goonies.
And she’s also the daughter of “I’m Easy” hottie Keith Carradine.
What can I say? I am gay.
But Martha immediately perked up. I think she was flattered I had singled her out even though she was sitting between Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix — two much more well-known actors, both with blazing-hot careers.
Martha has since confirmed that she felt the opposite of “cool” at this point in her life — “I thought I looked like a frump” — especially compared to her oh-so-handsome Running on Empty co-star and Keanu (also a co-star of hers, in the movie Parenthood that would be released later that year).
“What in the world are you doing in Tacoma?” I said to Martha, still ignoring Keanu and River, who, incidentally, was the older brother of Joaquin Phoenix.
“They’re filming a movie,” she said, nodding to her two dinner mates.
I later learned that Keanu and River were in Tacoma to film I Love You to Death with Kevin Kline — the guy River had just lost the Oscar to, for Kline’s role in A Fish Called Wanda. River and Keanu would also appear together in My Own Private Idaho, Gus Van Sant’s provocative 1991 film about gay hustlers.
I finally acknowledged River and Keanu. “You were also great in Running on Empty,” I said to River. “And Stand by Me is one of my favorite movies of all time. I can’t wait to see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” This would be released in a month, and River was playing young Indiana Jones.
“Thanks, man,” he said shyly.
“Running on Empty really didn’t get the attention it deserved,” I went on. “That scene where Annie, played by Christine Lahti, comes upon your character playing the piano? You think she’s going to accuse you of lying to them, but instead she just sits down and joins him in the song. Perfect foreshadowing in a perfect scene.”
River nodded happily. He was perking up now too.
Martha was River’s girlfriend, but they’d break up later that year because of his drug addiction, and he’d die of a shocking overdose in 1993. Meanwhile, Martha had had some negative press a few months earlier when she’d accompanied him to the Oscars with a shaved head.
But I knew she’d done it for a role — a cancer patient in the movie Silence Like Glass.
I said to Martha, “I also loved you in Shy People.” This was another film that had come out that year, with Barbara Hershey. “Oh, and Another Woman! What was it like working with Woody Allen?”
She smiled. “Even better than you’d think.” By now, she was practically beaming. I think the whole table was also impressed by my knowledge of film — and River and Keanu were impressed that Martha had a super-fan too.
But honestly, why was I mostly snubbing the two guys anyway? They were both bigger stars — none of my non-gay friends would be impressed I met Martha Plimpton, and even the gay ones would also want to know all about Keanu and River. I was probably intimidated. At that point in their lives, they were both approaching peak hotness.
We chatted a bit longer, about things to do and see in the Tacoma area, and now I included River and Keanu in the conversation too.
“Anyway,” I said at last. “I should let you all get back to your food.” I started to turn back around.
But River stopped me. “Did you say you just saw Running on Empty again? In a theater?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said.
“Is it still playing? Around here?”
“It is!” I said. I told him the name of the theater, but I was too embarrassed to say that it was a second-run “discount” theater.
“Thanks,” he said. And when they left a few minutes later, they all made a point to say goodbye to us.
After they were gone, one of my friends, Tom, said to me, “We should have suggested that we all go to the movie together.”
And I wish I had suggested that. I have a feeling they might have gone.
Why am I telling this story?
Because last night, I happened to watch Running on Empty again — my fourth viewing, but the first in almost forty years. With my old friend Tom, no less.
And it really holds up. It’s a fantastic movie, in the vein of other thoughtful but mainstream movies from that era like Ordinary People and, yes, Stand by Me.
Running on Empty was also nominated for an Oscar for its screenplay — by Naomi Foner who, incidentally, is the mother of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
The movie is the story of a couple of political radicals who, in 1971, blew up a napalm lab — but in the process, they accidentally blinded and paralyzed a janitor. They’ve been on the run from the FBI ever since, aided by an underground network of other radicals, frequently moving and constantly changing their identities.
But now it’s fifteen years later, and along the way, they’ve raised two boys. And the 17-year-old son, played by River Phoenix, wants to go off to school to start his own life. But if he does, he knows he’ll break up the family, and their tight unit is the thing that has enabled them to survive all these years.
Since he’ll be trailed by the FBI, he’ll also probably never get to see his parents again, and they don’t want him to go.
Running on Empty was a critical hit, but a commercial flop. Still, it was directed by one of the greatest directors of all time, Sidney Lumet, who also directed Network and 12 Angry Men.
I loved it, and I really think you should give it a watch.
But why should you listen to me?
Because if you didn’t know it before, now you know I’m a guy who really loves movies.
Brent Hartinger is a screenwriter and author. Check out my other newsletter about my travels at BrentAndMichaelAreGoingPlaces.com. And order my latest book, below.
What a trip down memory lane! I was a huge Martha Plimpton fan when I was young! I loved that she didn't fit the stereotypical Hollywood starlet aesthetic and she was smart, funny and gutsy. I also vowed in the 4th grade to one day marry River Phoenix 💔. And you named so many of my favorite movies from that era. Love Running on Empty, I Love You to Death, Parenthood. So good. Anyway, I have been to Tacoma a couple of times, but never knew about Bob's Java Jive. We'll be traveling around Washington this summer so I'm going to put it on my map in case we make it to Tacoma!
There is a graphic novel memoir by Mannie Murphy, I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN, about growing up in Portland, infatuation with River Phoenix, white supremacists, Van Sant, and MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO. Published in 2021. Neat book.