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IMDbPro

Promised Land

  • 19871987
  • RR
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
20,904
1,644
Promised Land (1987)
Drama
Gritty drama that follows two high school acquaintances, Hancock, a basketball star, and Danny, a geek turned drifter, after they graduate.Gritty drama that follows two high school acquaintances, Hancock, a basketball star, and Danny, a geek turned drifter, after they graduate.Gritty drama that follows two high school acquaintances, Hancock, a basketball star, and Danny, a geek turned drifter, after they graduate.
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
20,904
1,644
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Michael Hoffman
    • Writer
      • Michael Hoffman
    • Stars
      • Jason Gedrick
      • Kiefer Sutherland
      • Meg Ryan
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Michael Hoffman
    • Writer
      • Michael Hoffman
    • Stars
      • Jason Gedrick
      • Kiefer Sutherland
      • Meg Ryan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 15User reviews
    • 14Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Photos25

    Meg Ryan and Kiefer Sutherland in Promised Land (1987)
    Jason Gedrick and Tracy Pollan in Promised Land (1987)
    Michael Hoffman in Promised Land (1987)
    Meg Ryan in Promised Land (1987)
    Kiefer Sutherland in Promised Land (1987)
    Robert Redford in Promised Land (1987)
    Meg Ryan and Kiefer Sutherland in Promised Land (1987)
    Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Gedrick, and Tracy Pollan in Promised Land (1987)
    Jason Gedrick and Tracy Pollan in Promised Land (1987)
    Meg Ryan and Kiefer Sutherland in Promised Land (1987)
    Jason Gedrick in Promised Land (1987)
    Tracy Pollan in Promised Land (1987)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jason Gedrick
    Jason Gedrick
    • Hancock
    Kiefer Sutherland
    Kiefer Sutherland
    • Danny
    Meg Ryan
    Meg Ryan
    • Bev
    Tracy Pollan
    Tracy Pollan
    • Mary
    Googy Gress
    Googy Gress
    • Baines
    Deborah Richter
    Deborah Richter
    • Pammie
    Oscar Rowland
    Oscar Rowland
    • Mr. Rivers
    Sandra Seacat
    Sandra Seacat
    • Mrs. Rivers
    Jay Underwood
    Jay Underwood
    • Circle K Clerk
    Herta Ware
    • Mrs. Higgins
    Logan Field
    • High School Coach
    • (as Walt Logan Field)
    Kelly Ausland
    • Schroeder…
    Todd Anderson
    • Pat Rivers
    Dave Valenza
    • Glenn
    Theron Read
    • Harting
    Richard Matthews
    • Mel
    Cindy Clark
    Cindy Clark
    • Vera
    Charles Black
    • Preacher
    • Director
      • Michael Hoffman
    • Writer
      • Michael Hoffman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Referenced in Lawrence Kasdan's Dreamcatcher (2003).
    • Quotes

      [waking up the "morning after"]

      Bev: Where's the cat?

      Danny: What cat?

      Bev: The cat that shit in my mouth.

    • Crazy credits
      Best Dog ... Cheetah
    • Connections
      Featured in Celebrated: Meg Ryan (2015)
    • Soundtracks
      O Magnum Mysterium
      Written by Giovanni Palestrina

      Performed by Choir of Kings College Cambridge (as King's College Choir, Cambridge)

      Conducted by Philip Ledger

      Courtesy of EMI Records Limited, 30 Gloucester Place, London W1A IES

    User reviews15

    Review
    Top review
    Restlessness v. pull of small town home leads to tragedy
    Two principles are anxious to get out of a small burg in the mid west and one refuses to leave the only place where he ever had any recognition (as a star high school athlete) and becomes a local cop. The wild card here is a drifter and borderline sociopath who nonetheless also needs something like "home", but has no idea what that is.

    Played by Meg Ryan as you've never seen her. Although if you rent "Hurlyburly" you'll see what she can do with a well written part not seemingly made for her; this woman can act, but apparently would rather have Nora Ephron help her be a star and get fat deals playing variations on the same person. Rant aside, Ryan's character hooks up somewhere in the west with the most disaffected of the small-towners, played as a not very bright but enigmatic loser by Kiefer Sutherland. The pull of "home", both real and imagined, leads Kiefer and Meg back to small-burg with tragic consequences. There is a real 80's feel to this. Ennui and fear and neediness combine as America ostensibly does big things, a few people get really rich, and people like these characters instinctively know that most people, especially ones like them, have fewer prospects than their parents. Unlike me, the movie is not at all didactic, so check it out as one of the more outstanding "feel-bad" movies I've ever seen.
    helpful•6
    1
    • L-Jet
    • Sep 8, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 22, 1988 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Gelobtes Land
    • Filming locations
      • Utah, USA
    • Production companies
      • Great American Films Limited Partnership
      • The Oxford Film Company
      • Vestron Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $316,199
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $31,401
      • Jan 24, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $316,199
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 42 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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