The Pledge (2001)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Sean Penn

Writers (WGA):

Friedrich Dürrenmatt (book)
Jerzy Kromolowski (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 January 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Detective Jerry Black has made a promise he can't break, to catch a killer he can't find.

Plot:

A retiring police chief pledges to catch the killer of a young child.

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Pledge | Police | Porcupine | Search

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

Patricia Clarkson	...	Margaret Larsen
Beau Daniels	...	Rudy
Benicio Del Toro	...	Toby Jay Wadenah
Dale Dickey	...	Strom
Wendy Morrow Donaldson	...	Resort Owner
Adrien Dorval	...	Sheriff (as P. Adrien Dorval)
Aaron Eckhart	...	Stan Krolak
Shawn Henter	...	Bus Driver
Kathy Jensen	...	Store Clerk
Taryn Knowles	...	Ginny Larsen
Nels Lennarson	...	Hank
Costas Mandylor	...	Monash Deputy
J.J. McColl	...	Real Estate Agent
Gordon May	...	Criminologist #1
Gardiner Millar	...	Deputy #3 (as Gardinar Millar)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

124 min | Argentina:123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:M (TV rating) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | Brazil:16 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:12 | Hungary:14 | Italy:T | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Morgan Creek Productions

Trivia:

Was originally slated to film in Minnesota, but lost out to Canada for budget reasons.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Jerry drives his SUV through the field and fences to the church, the brush guards on the front of the vehicle disappear and reappear.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jerry Black: She said it. She said it. She did.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

Soundtrack:

Slowdown

A Haunting Film With A Great Soundtrack

Unsatisfying endings usually make for box-office bombs and I suspect this one bombed, too. I don't particularly care for them, myself. I'd rather feel good at the end of the film, but I really liked this movie in a strange kind of way. It's weird but it's original and it stayed with me for several days afterward. On the second viewing, knowing what to expect, it didn't haunt me but it was worth that second look....and probably a third one in a few years, too. I didn't care for some of the anti-Christian tones in here, however. That is my only complaint of the movie. A key character - a minister - is made to look evil (typical film-world bias).

The rest of the film has a lot to offer: a great performance by Jack Nicholson; a very nice music score; good cinematography; interesting characters and a different, almost-shocking twist at the end.

The best part of the film is Nicholson. As usual, Jack is very interesting, playing a low-key role here. The story might be too slow for a lot of folks but it kept my interest all the way. On the second viewing, I appreciated the music even more - a great soundtrack!

If you are looking for a crime film that is different, check this out, but don't blame me if you don't like the ending.