The Big Empty

"Cowboys. Aliens. Blue suitcases and bowling balls. Strange things are happening out in the middle of nowhere."

2003 1h 35m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🍅

67%

FRESH

⭐

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 84🍅67%Rotten Tomatoes★6IMDB · 4,575

ComedyDramaMysteryScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Struggling actor John Person agrees to drive a blue suitcase from Los Angeles to the small town of Baker, Calif., and hand it over to a mysterious cowboy in return for having his credit card debt of $27,000 paid off. Upon his arrival, John can't find the cowboy but receives an ominously head-shaped package he's supposed to hang onto. While waiting, John gets close to Ruthie, whose psychotic boyfriend, Randy, keeps threatening to kill him.

“Cowboys. Aliens. Blue suitcases and bowling balls. Strange things are happening out in the middle of nowhere.”

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Cast

Jon Favreau
John Person
Joey Lauren Adams
Grace
Rachael Leigh Cook
Ruthie
Daryl Hannah
Stella
Kelsey Grammer
Agent Banks
Sean Bean
Cowboy
Melora Walters
Candy
Bud Cort
Neely

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Steve Anderson
Writers: Steve Anderson
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Steve Anderson, shot by Christopher Manley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Brian Tyler. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Scot Scalise shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jon Favreau and Joey Lauren Adams and Rachael Leigh Cook carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Cowboys. Aliens. Blue suitcases and bowling balls. Strange things are happening out in the middle of nowhere.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0321442 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 84 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Steve Anderson directs. Christopher Manley behind the camera. Brian Tyler scores. Scot Scalise cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 23 years ago.
2Directed by Steve Anderson, shot by Christopher Manley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Brian Tyler. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Scot Scalise shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Jon Favreau and Joey Lauren Adams and Rachael Leigh Cook carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Cowboys. Aliens. Blue suitcases and bowling balls. Strange things are happening out in the middle of nowhere.".
7IMDB entry: tt0321442 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 84 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.