The Big Empty is a 2003 comedy film[1] directed and written by Steve Anderson. It stars Jon Favreau as a struggling actor with a bizarre request from his neighbor to deliver a suitcase he cannot open. While there, he meets an unusual cast of characters and starts to think this delivery might be more than it seems.[2]
Plot
In Baker, things quickly take an unexpected turn for John. He misses Cowboy and finds himself caught up in a confrontation with a man named Randy, who mistakes him for someone pursuing his girlfriend. However, amidst the chaos, John develops a connection with Randy's girlfriend, Ruthie. Together, they venture into the desert, where they encounter a mysterious man named Dan at a diner. Dan shares bizarre tales and conspiracy theories about the desert, adding to the intrigue of their journey.
As John and Ruthie continue to explore, they visit Devil's Crest Lakebed, where they share drinks and stories. However, Ruthie falls ill and shortens their time together, so John must drive her home. Banks, an FBI agent, is hot on John's trail after someone murdered Neely. Someone has murdered Neely, and FBI agent Banks is hot on John's path. John suspects the suitcase he's delivering might contain something sinister, fearing the worst, causing his caution to increase.
Cast
Jon Favreau as John Person, an out-of-work actor and the story's protagonist. He keeps waiting for callbacks from "promising auditions" and hangs some of his headshots on the wall wherever he goes. He is like the story's everyman, reacting seriously and deadpan to his situations. John Person is his stage name; his real name is never revealed. His favorite drink is a gin and tonic.
Joey Lauren Adams as Grace, John's friend, who lives across the hall from him. She is slightly nerdy but is cheery and supportive of John's acting career.
Bud Cort as Neely, John's strange neighbor. He is stocky and squirrely and wears a neck brace for an unknown reason (John and Grace gossip about why he is wearing it). He is the one who convinces John Person to deliver the suitcase to Baker, California. John finds him rather creepy, and Neely somehow knows more than he should about John.
Jon Gries as Elron, the manager of the Royal Hawaiian Motel in Baker. He is irritatingly peppy and offers John a complimentary hooker and comes into his motel room every morning to wake him up and offer him breakfast. John usually refuses, and Elron usually sits in the room and eats them himself. Later, he is found to have a steel plate in his head.
Daryl Hannah as Stella; the bartender at the local bar. She is an easygoing, urbane woman who helps John out.
Rachael Leigh Cook as Ruthie; Stella's adopted daughter. She is somewhat of a "bad girl", with a high alcohol tolerance and a heavily opinionated attitude, but she also has a sweet side. She wants to leave Baker to see the world, and is attracted to John's good and supportive nature.
Adam Beach as Randy; Ruthie's boyfriend. He has an obsession with Ruthie, and reacts violently if anyone so much as looks at her. He is psychopathic and threatens to kill John, first with a chainsaw and later with a shotgun.
Brent Briscoe as Dan; a trucker who is always at the diner with John Person, and rambles on about conspiracy theories such as how the government is building a bullet train so "they can get people liquored up and fire them out into the desert" so they do not notice the numerous UFO sightings around Baker. Some of his conspiracy theories turn out to offer interesting insights on the story's details.
Sean Bean as Cowboy; a mysterious person to whom John Person needs to deliver the suitcase. Cowboy is only alluded to for most of the movie as "the guy with a big, black duster and black Stetson". He is a classic cowboy (despite his English accent) with a gravelly voice and tough attitude. His role, though, is much more strange; his job is to gather up people to be taken away by aliens at a "jump point" outside Baker.
Kelsey Grammer as Agent Banks; an FBI agent who suspects John has a role in the unusual occurrences in Baker. He has a certain fast-talking wit and grandiosity about himself, possibly for the use of "good cop" interrogation. He may also have been involved in what is going on in Baker.
Gary Farmer as Indian Bob; a sarcastic Native American who guides John Person to the "jump point" in the dry lake bed, instructs him what to do, and offers him homespun wisdom about making the most out of life.
Melora Walters as Candy; a hooker who works for the motel where John Person is staying, as a complimentary service to the guests. She is a bit of an airhead, but she offers important information about Cowboy's motives.
Locations
The Big Empty was all shot on location in Los Angeles and Baker, California, which is a real town in southern California where most of the story takes place. Many of its locations are real, including the Royal Hawaiian Motel. Several landmarks in Baker are also shown, including the world's tallest thermometer.
The Alto Nido apartments where John Person is living are the same ones where William Holden lived in the beginning of Sunset Blvd. All the bowling scenes were filmed at the famous Hollywood Star Lanes in Hollywood. It has since been demolished.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 71% based on reviews from 7 critics.[3][4]
Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, saying it "Has a seductive easiness (which may not be for everyone, but it works), a laid-back yet ever-so-slightly portentous score and a wonderful sense of place."[5] Chuck Wilson of L.A. Weekly wrote: "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."[6] Robert Koehler of Variety wrote: ""Hobbled by uninspired stabs at cleverness and surreal narrative curlicues, The Big Empty goes nowhere, replete with a question mark of an ending that isn't worth answering."[7]
