Promised Land (1987)

This gritty drama follows two high school acquaintances, Hancock, a basketball star, and Danny, a geek turned drifter, after they graduate. The first film commissioned by the Sundance Film ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Hoffman

Writer:

Michael Hoffman

Stars:

Jason Gedrick, Kiefer Sutherland, Meg Ryan

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Gedrick	...	Hancock
Tracy Pollan	...	Mary
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Danny
Meg Ryan	...	Bev
Googy Gress	...	Baines
Deborah Richter	...	Pammie
Oscar Rowland	...	Mr. Rivers
Sandra Seacat	...	Mrs. Rivers
Jay Underwood	...	Circle K Clerk
Herta Ware	...	Mrs. Higgins
Logan Field	...	High School Coach (as Walt Logan Field)
Kelly Ausland	...	Schroeder / Ashville Basketball Player #1
Todd Anderson	...	Pat Rivers
Dave Valenza	...	Glenn
Theron Read	...	Harting

Storyline

This gritty drama follows two high school acquaintances, Hancock, a basketball star, and Danny, a geek turned drifter, after they graduate. The first film commissioned by the Sundance Film Festival, it portrays the other half of the American dream, as Hancock and his cheerleader girlfriend Mary wander to a middle-class mediocrity out itself out of reach for Danny and his psychotic wife Bev.

---

Plot Keywords:

basketball | skinny dipping | wedding | tattoo | nudity | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Young Hearts

Filming Locations:

Reno, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,401, 24 January 1988

Gross USA:

$316,199

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$316,199

Company Credits

Production Co:

Great American Films Limited Partnership, The Oxford Film Company, Vestron Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Referenced in Lawernce Kasdan's "Dream Catcher."

---

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

Referenced in Dreamcatcher (2003)

---

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 Reviews

Utterly depressing picture of small town life.

Kiefer Sutherland had a weird choice of roles in the early 80s, and quite a few times, he played wierd characters in often depressing movies. Promised Land is one of them.

The story of Promised Land focuses on some post-high school small town residents who, although they possessed some potential for greatness, their lives never seem to be going anywhere, or at least don't go the way they anticipate. Hancock (Jason Gedrick), who was the town's glorious athlete as a high school basketball player, now spends his days at a thankless job, doing street patrol as a cop. Both he and his girlfriend, Mary (Tracy Pollen) seem to young and rambunctious (at least Gedrick does) and always wanting more than their quick introduction into suburban, Middle class life.

Hancock's friend Danny (Sutherland) is his former high school classmate, a weak and quiet guy who returns to his depressing little town with his wild (and annoying) new wife, Bev (Meg Ryan), who seems to find her husband to be a suitable massicist target. Danny, too, is reminded of better times he may've had (he's not a dumb kid, either), and fears what lies ahead as the town elicits reminders of the ambitions he had, now lost. Of course, if you know movies like this, the story will show no silver lining.

If you like this movie, perhaps you might try searching out 1969, another early Sutherland title that is something along the same lines, but obviously, it is a period drama.