Promised Land (1987)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Michael Hoffman

Writer:

Michael Hoffman (written by)

Release Date:

22 January 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

This gritty drama follows two high school acquaintances, Hancock, a basketball star, and Danny, a geek turned drifter...

Plot Keywords:

Basketball | Wedding | Small Town Life | Hot Spring | Nudity

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Jason Gedrick	...	Davey Hancock
Tracy Pollan	...	Mary Daley
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Danny 'Senator' Rivers
Meg Ryan	...	Beverly 'Bev' Sykes
Googy Gress	...	Baines
Deborah Richter	...	Pammie
Oscar Rowland	...	Mr. Rivers
Sandra Seacat	...	Mrs. Rivers
Jay Underwood	...	Circle K Clerk
Herta Ware	...	Mrs. Higgins
Walt Logan Field	...	High School Coach
Kelly Ausland	...	Schroeder / Ashville Basketball Player #1
Todd Anderson	...	Pat Rivers
Dave Valenza	...	Glenn
Theron Read	...	Harting
Richard Matthews	...	Mel
Cindy Clark	...	Vera
Charles Black	...	Preacher
Tony Kruletz	...	Charlie
James Cash	...	Park Employee #1
Matthew Karas	...	Park Employee Dultz
David Jensen	...	College Coach (as Dave Jensen)
Michael Ruud	...	Cowboy in Casino
Victoria Holloway	...	Cleo
Herb McGarvey	...	Riley Riddle
Don Steffey	...	Rudy Riddle
Spence Ashby	...	Flagman #1
Fenton Quinn Jr.	...	Flagman #2
L.L. West	...	Toy Store Clerk
John Garrison	...	Mr. Daley
Deborah Green	...	Kate Daley
Dorothy Conrad	...	Grandmother Daley
Gae P. Cowley	...	Mrs. Daley (as Gae Cowley)
Lisa MacFarlane	...	Jenny Daley (as Lisa Macfarlane)
Joseph Yeates	...	Kate's Husband
Gene Pack	...	Mayor of Ashville
Grant Gottschall	...	Bassford
Adam Christensen	...	Ashville Basketball Player #2
Shane Perry	...	Ashville Basketball Player #3
Greg Weichers	...	Ashville Basketball Player #4
Bob Bedore	...	Falcon Basketball Player #1
Troy Bench	...	Falcon Basketball Player #2
Tom Thornquest	...	Falcon Basketball Player #3
Zeke Totland	...	Falcon Basketball Player #4
Jeff Lindsay	...	Falcon Basketball Player #5
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself - in Pro-Contra Speech (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Hoffman

Writing credits
Michael Hoffman		(written by)

Produced by
Mark Bentley	....	associate producer
Dennis Bishop	....	associate producer
Andrew Meyer	....	executive producer
Andy Paterson	....	associate producer
Robert Redford	....	executive producer
Rick Stevenson	....	producer

Original Music by
James Newton Howard

Non-Original Music by
Giovanni Palestrina		(from mass "O Magnum Misterium") (as Palestrina)

Cinematography by
Alexander Gruszynski
Ueli Steiger

Film Editing by
David Spiers

Casting by
Risa Bramon Garcia
Billy Hopkins
Lora Kennedy

Production Design by
Eugenio Zanetti

Art Direction by
Jim Dultz

Set Decoration by
Michael Marcus

Costume Design by
Victoria Holloway

Makeup Department
Thomas Nellen	....	hair stylist
Thomas Nellen	....	makeup artist
Sheri Short	....	hair stylist
Sheri Short	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Dennis Bishop	....	production manager
Mitchell Cannold	....	executive in charge of production
Steven Reuther	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matthew Carlisle	....	first assistant director
Shiho Ito	....	second assistant director
Andy Paterson	....	second unit director
Lynn Wegenka	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Clif A. Davis	....	set designer
J. Chad Davis	....	scenic artist
Timaree McCormick	....	property master
Richard W. Meyer	....	construction coordinator
Bob Simmons	....	storyboard artist
Bryan Utman	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Brigitte Arnold	....	dialogue editor
Colin Chapman	....	foley editor
Rodney Glenn	....	sound editor
Darrell Henke	....	sound mixer
David M. Roberts	....	boom operator (as David Roberts)
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing mixer

Special Effects by
Ray Brown	....	best boy effects
Bob Riggs	....	special effects coordinator
W. Wayne Walser	....	additional snow effects

Stunts
David Boushey	....	stunt coordinator
Bob Miles	....	stunt coordinator
Fenton Quinn Jr.	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Arenas	....	assistant camera: second unit
Tom Davidson	....	key grip
Michael S. Endler	....	first assistant camera (as Michael Endler)
Kahn Griffith	....	dolly grip
Steve Grnya	....	best boy grip
W. Trubee Haebler Jr.	....	second assistant camera
David R. Kohn	....	lighting technician
John Schaeffer	....	still photographer
Bill Schwarz	....	gaffer
Alvin Simmons	....	best boy electric
Keith Talley	....	best boy grip
Keith Talley	....	dolly grip
Alesia Walser	....	key grip: second unit
Jamie Watson	....	key grip
Matthew Williams	....	director of photography: second unit
Brian Sullivan	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Catrine McGregor	....	casting: Utah

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rebecca Poulos	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Jeff Smithwick	....	color timer

Music Department
Michael Lloyd	....	music arranger
Michael Lloyd	....	song producer
Michael Mason	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Daniel C. Rothenberg	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Benita Brazier	....	script supervisor
Kathleen Caton	....	location manager
Shirley Johnson	....	production coordinator (as Shirley A. Johnson)
Kelly Lookinland	....	production assistant (as Kelly Wermuth Lookinland)
Mike Lookinland	....	production assistant

Thanks
Beryl Vertue	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Great American Films Limited Partnership
• The Oxford Film Company
• Vestron Pictures
• Wildwood

Distributors

• Vestron Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Central (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Circle Seven Recording  score recording
• Optical Film Effects Ltd.  opticals
• Redman Movies and Stories  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

Young Hearts

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Reno, Nevada, USA

Company:

Great American Films Limited Partnership

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game K N B: (2007-03-03)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

WILL THE WOLF SURVIVE

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.