Promises in the Dark (1979)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Jerome Hellman

Writer:

Loring Mandel (writer)

Release Date:

3 April 1980 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A remarkable film about the most disturbing subject of all.

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Cancer

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes.

Cast

Marsha Mason	...	Dr. Alexandra Kendall
Ned Beatty	...	Bud Koenig
Susan Clark	...	Fran Koenig
Michael Brandon	...	Dr. Jim Sandman
Kathleen Beller	...	Elizabeth (Buffy) Koenig
Paul Clemens	...	Gerry Hulin
Donald Moffat	...	Dr. Walter McInerny
Philip Sterling	...	Dr. Frucht
Bonnie Bartlett	...	Nurse Farber
James Noble	...	Dr. Blankenship
Arthur Rosenberg	...	Emergency Room Doctor
Peggy McCay	...	Miss Pritikin
Robert Doran	...	Alan
Lenora May	...	Sue
Alexandra Johnson	...	Ellie

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Jerome Hellman Productions

Soundtrack:

RAGA KERWANI

Another acting triumph for Marsha Mason...

A teenage girl is treated for a leg injury, but it's soon discovered she has an aggressive form of cancer, which begins taking its toll--physically and emotionally--on the victim, her family, and the female doctor who forms a bond with the youngster. Kathleen Beller plays the unfortunate girl with a mix of belligerence and brashness that is, quite simply, off-putting; her straight-forward cynicism is certainly convincing, and it may be exactly how many cancer patients react when they discover there's very little time left, but it makes for a strident central character who doesn't do much to involve the audience. However, as the doctor, Marsha Mason just about saves the day with a wonderfully natural, sensitive and grounded performance. Given great dialogue by screenwriter Loring Mandel, Mason is able to revel in telling dramatic scenes that evoke whole lives (such as when she talks about her ex-husband, a movie-junkie who could sit through a double feature and then come home and watch television). Mason never sermonizes or stands on a soap-box, she is a caring professional who becomes a close friend (and may have become a mentor) to this girl. The film is occasionally pedestrian or heavy-handed--particularly when focusing on Beller--and that woeful title didn't help it at the box-office. Yet it is strengthened considerably by Mason, one of the finest actresses of the 1970s. **1/2 from ****