Movies
The Promise
A free reworking of Random Harvest by scriptwriter Garry Michael White, who cannot be held accountable for the unerodable bedrock of absurdity in the thing, but only for his own doctorings, chief among which is the use of plastic surgery in place of amnesia as the gimmick that separates two ill-fated lovers. This gimmick is an apt metaphor for the whole movie, inasmuch as the original material was badly in need of a facelift. The final result is just about the closest thing to 1958, and to the Universal Studio tearjerkers of that era, that you are likely to get these days; and it has as much to offer the true nostalgist as do the more overt appeals to the time-tripper, such as Grease and American Graffiti. Written, directed (by Gilbert Cates), and acted (by Kathleen Quinlan and Stephen Collins) with total sincerity and intensity, this movie can certainly be said to have the courage of its own contrivances. 1979.
Reader Rating:
MPAA Rating: PG
Length: 97
