Promised Land (2012)
Average Rating: 5.9/10
Reviews Counted: 144
Fresh: 74 | Rotten: 70
The earnest and well-intentioned Promised Land sports a likable cast, but it also suffers from oversimplified characterizations and a frustrating final act.
Average Rating: 6.3/10
Critic Reviews: 35
Fresh: 18 | Rotten: 17
The earnest and well-intentioned Promised Land sports a likable cast, but it also suffers from oversimplified characterizations and a frustrating final act.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 17,709
Movie Info
Promised Land is the new contemporary drama directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk). Matt Damon plays Steve Butler, an ace corporate salesman who is sent along with his partner, Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand), to close a key rural town in his company's expansion plans. With the town having been hit hard by the economic decline of recent years, the two outsiders see the local citizens as likely to accept their company's offer, for drilling rights to their properties, as much-needed
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Cast
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Matt Damon
Steve Butler -
John Krasinski
Dustin Noble -
Frances McDormand
Sue Thomason -
Rosemarie DeWitt
Alice -
Hal Holbrook
Frank Yates -
Scoot McNairy
Jeff Dennon -
Titus Welliver
Rob -
Benjamin Sheeler
Attendant -
Terry Kinney
David Churchill -
Carla Bianco
Waitress -
Joe Coyle
Michael Downey -
Dorothy Silver
Arlene -
Lexi Cowan
Drew's Girl -
Tim Guinee
Drew Scott -
Sara Lindsey
Claire Allen -
Frank Conforti
Coach -
Garrett Ashbaugh
Basketball Player -
Jerico Morgan
Jericho -
Max Schuler
Carson Allen -
August G. Siciliano
5th Grader -
Ken Strunk
Gerry Richards -
Karen Baum
Lynn -
Gerri Bumbaugh
Jesse the Bartender -
Johnny Cicco
Donny -
Erin Baldwin
Buddy's Waitress -
Kristin Slaysman
Gwen -
Andrew Kuebel
6-year-old Boy -
Matthew Ferrante
Drummer -
Justin Cook
Guitar #1 -
Steven Craven
Bass -
Bruce Craven
Guitar #2 -
Gene Williams
Keyboard -
Dan Anders
Large Man -
Lucas Black
Paul Geary -
Sandy Medred
Paul's Girlfriend -
Carrington E. Vaughn
Colin -
Alexander Cain
Danny Thomason -
Joy De La Paz
Motel Receptionist -
Lennon Wynn Kuzniar
Lemonade Girl at Gym -
Payton Godfrey
Lemonade Girl at Fai... -
Jason Gedrick
Davey Hancock -
Kiefer Sutherland
Danny Rivers -
Meg Ryan
Bev -
Tracy Pollan
Mary Daley -
Googy Gress
Baines -
Deborah Richter
Pammie -
Oscar Rowland
Mr. Rivers -
Sandra Seacat
Mrs. Rivers -
Jay Underwood
Circle K Clerk -
Herta Ware
Mrs. Higgins -
Todd Anderson
Pat Rivers -
Kelly Ausland
Ashville Basketball ... -
Charles Black
Preacher -
Cindy Clark
Vera -
Walt Logan Field
High School Coach -
John Garrison
Mr. Daley -
Dave Jensen
College Coach -
Michael Ruud
Cowboy in Casino -
Victoria Holloway
Cleo -
Lisa MacFarlane
Jenny -
Spence Ashby
Flagman -
Bob Bedore
Falcons Basketball P... -
Troy Bench
Falcons Basketball P... -
James Cash
Park Employee -
Adam Christensen
Ashville Basketball ... -
Dorothy Conrad
Mary's Grandmother -
Gae Cowley
Mrs. Daley -
Grant Gottschall
Bassford -
DeBorah Green
Kate -
Matthew Karas
Park Employee Dultz -
Tony Kruletz
Charlie -
Jeff Lindsay
Falcons Basketball P... -
Richard Matthew
Mel -
Herb McGarvey
Riley Riddle -
Gene Pack
Mayor of Ashville -
Shane Perry
Ashville Basketball ... -
Fenton Quinn Jr.
Flagman -
Theron Read
Hasting -
Don Steffey
Rudy Riddle -
Tom Thornquest
Falcons Basketball P... -
Zeke Totland
Falcons Basketball P... -
Greg Weichers
Ashville Basketball ... -
Joseph Yeates
Kate's Husband -
David Valenza
Glenn
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Promised Land Trailer & Photos
All Critics (144) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (74) | Rotten (70) | DVD (1)
This is a solid if at times too conventional tale of a classic moral conflict.
Top Critic[It's mostly] a well-wrought drama that feels genuine as it goes about spinning a tale worthy of our challenging times.
Promised Land is more effective as an anti-fracking screed than as a drama.
Damon and McDormand are terrific as co-workers seeking the same goal, though they see their work from different points of view.
This isn't a movie about easy fixes, be they personal or political; it's a film about long-term problems.
Far too awkward and contrived a drama to change many hearts and minds.
An engaging film about the dangers of fracking and the crass manipulation employed by its proponents.
It's more middle of the road than transcendent, but Promised Land offers a quietly engaging and even-handed look at a controversial issue.
The film never makes a convincing argument against fracking, probably because it's too busy being cloying.
Gus Van Sant's Promised Land is an engaging performance-driven drama that works more often than not.
... Van Sant's eye and sense of poetry no doubt elevate what's essentially an updated Frank Capra story ...
'You can't make natural gas from shale without fracking' doesn't quite have the same ring to it as 'You can't start a fire without a spark'.
The pro-environment message here is more effective because of the film's subtlety, a casting twist featuring the likeable Matt Damon, and a script that doesn't insult its audience.
There are some good scenes early on, and the conflict at the centre is real. But it's sentimental, Capraesque fare ...
underwhelming at best
Thee film-makers' sincerity so indisputable, that Promised Land never entirely spins off the rails. It's hard to swallow, but easy to digest.
Hydraulic fracturing might not be the most compelling subject for a movie, but it provides a topical backdrop for this engaging drama about ethics.
A gentle rather than dramatic film that, once the central argument is laid out, lacks real flair.
A flawed but watchable eco-drama - heavily indebted to a wittier anti-corporate movie, Local Hero, made 30 years ago.
Van Sant is no Frank Capra, so why is he trying so hard to be?
Not confident or bolshy enough about the subject, too aware of eco versus economic pros and cons ...
The latest film from Gus Van Sant is a thought-provoking and emotionally engaging smalltown drama with a strong script and a terrific central performance from co-writer Matt Damon.
A compelling glimpse into a world of corporate chicanery where unscrupulous business giants casually toss decent chaps like Butler into the fray to take the, er, frack.
The film means well, it just doesn't stir the soul.
Northern Exposure with Jason Bourne. Which is a backhanded way of saying this is far from the challenging movie it promised to be.
Feels more Hollywoodland than 'Promised Land'.
Audience Reviews for Promised Land
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Alice: Let's see... 40, married, marketing, two kids.
- Steve Butler: 38, stripper/waitress, born to be a singer.
- Alice: F**k you! I'm a teacher!
- Steve Butler: No, I was talking about me.
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- Steve Butler: We are a nine billion dollar company... do you know what we're capable of?
- Dustin Noble: Do you?
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- Steve Butler: This town, this life... it's dying.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Left-wing Liberal propaganda | 4 months ago | 63 |
| Childish, simplistic, and not realistic. | 9 months ago | 6 |
| Promised Land is a good movie - don't be deterred. | 57 days ago | 5 |
| B- = Rotten? | 9 months ago | 4 |
| Looks Pointless | 8 months ago | 3 |
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Latest News on Promised Land
January 3, 2013:
Video Interview with Cast of Promised Land: Rosemarie DeWittPromised Land is all about normal folks making tough decisions that might change their lives...
January 3, 2013:
Video Interview with Cast of Promised Land: Matt DamonMatt Damon confesses his love for Rotten Tomatoes (and he meant our website, not the decaying...
January 3, 2013:
Video Interview with Cast of Promised Land: John KrasinskiThe new movie Promised Land discusses fracking, personal values, democracy, and familial duties. To...
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Foreign Titles
- Promised Land (DE)
- Promised Land (UK)
Steve Butler (Damon) works as a salesman for an energy corporation whose job is to go around with his partner Sue (Frances McDormand) to various economically devastated rural towns to secure drilling rights for the controversial natural gas acquisition process nicknamed "fracking".
All seems well and good for these slick corporate players, that is, until they come up against a respected, intelligent, and resourceful teacher (Hal Holbrook), and an environmental activist just as slick as them (John Krasinski).
Besides getting into the ethics and morals of the fracking issue, the film is also, if not mainly, a human story. Both sides of the issue are presented in a thoughtful and balanced manner (for until near the end), but the film is mainly a look at one man's conflicted journey as he rediscovers his conscience.
Aside from the profanity, this really comes off like a contemporary Frank Capra film. And you know? I'm okay with that. The film is pretty good, and good arguments for both sides are made, but then, the film can't help but dip into a twist which starts to unravel everything. And yeah, the main basic plot line is the typical "crisis of conscience" scenario, but it is well played, despite all the cliches and everything that comes with it.
The script is mostly decent though, despite its shortcomings. The performances are where it's really at. Damon, McDormand, Krasinski, and Holbrook are perfectly cast, and their performances are likewise very believable and solid. Rosemarie DeWitt is fine as a potential love interest for Damon, but there's really not a whole lot to her character, and this is just a typical sort of role we get far too often in these kinds of movies, and in many movies in general. Other supporters are fine, but none of them really stand out like the main players do. The film also has some good cinematography and a fitting score by Danny Elfman that I rather like.
I think this is a good film, and I'll give it a mild recommendation. I just think that things could have been a whole lot better had the WHOLE thing been as thoughtful as the majority of the running time of the proceedings. But here's to hoping we get more of a big screen presence from Krasinski who shows a lot of promise here, with Damon as his mentor, much like how Van Sant was with him.