The Pledge (2001)
Coming Out at 19 January 2001 in theaters.
Crime, Drama, Mystery
The Pledge is neo-noir mystery drama film directed by Sean Penn. The film features an ensemble cast, starring Jack Nicholson, Patricia Clarkson, Aaron Eckhart, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Vanessa Redgrave, Sam Shepard, Mickey Rourke, Lois Smith and Benicio del Toro.
It is based on Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s 1958 novella The Pledge: Requiem for the Detective Novel. Dürrenmatt wrote The Pledge to refine the theme he originally developed in the screenplay for the 1958 German film It Happened in Broad Daylight with Heinz Rühmann.
The film was in competition at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.
Retired police detective Jerry Black (Jack Nicholson) is seen mumbling to himself, apparently drunk, sitting on a bench outside a disused gas station. The scene then shifts to events in the recent past. The Department has thrown him a retirement party, and the police captain gives Jerry a fishing trip in Mexico as a gift. The party is interrupted by the discovery of a murdered child, Ginny Larsen. Jerry decides to go with another detective, Stan Krolak (Aaron Eckhart), to the scene of the crime.
Director: Sean Penn
Writers: Friedrich Dürrenmatt (book), Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Benicio Del Toro, Patricia Clarkson, Beau Daniels, Dale Dickey, Wendy Donaldson, Adrien Dorval
Cast:
| Patricia Clarkson | … | Margaret Larsen |
| Beau Daniels | … | Rudy |
| Benicio Del Toro | … | Toby Jay Wadenah |
| Dale Dickey | … | Strom |
| Wendy Donaldson | … | Resort Owner |
| Adrien Dorval | … | Sheriff |
| Aaron Eckhart | … | Stan Krolak |
| Shawn Henter | … | Bus Driver |
| Kathy Jensen | … | Store Clerk |
| Taryn Knowles | … | Ginny Larsen |
| Nels Lennarson | … | Hank |
| Costas Mandylor | … | Monash Deputy |
| J.J. McColl | … | Real Estate Agent |
| Gordon May | … | Criminologist #1 |
| Gardiner Millar | … | Deputy #3 |
| Helen Mirren | … | Doctor |
| Adam Nelson | … | Deputy #1 |
| Jack Nicholson | … | Jerry Black |
| Tom Noonan | … | Gary Jackson |
| Michael O’Keefe | … | Duane Larsen |
| Tony Parsons | … | TV Anchorman |
| Robin Wright | … | Lori |
| Robert Popoff | … | Prisoner |
| Vanessa Redgrave | … | Annalise Hansen |
| Nicole Robert | … | Flea Market Sales Lady |
| Mickey Rourke | … | Jim Olstad |
| Pauline Roberts | … | Chrissy |
| Eileen Ryan | … | Jean |
| Lucy Schmidt | … | Alma Cage |
| Sam Shepard | … | Eric Pollack |
| Lois Smith | … | Helen Jackson |
| Harry Dean Stanton | … | Floyd Cage |
| John R. Taylor | … | Grey Haired Man |
| Theodore Thomas | … | Rest Home Resident |
| Brittany Tiplady | … | Becky Fiske |
| Mavourneen Varcoe-Ryan | … | Crime Scene Reporter |
| Françoise Yip | … | Bartender at Airport |
| Andrew Hedge | … | SWAT Sniper |
| Brock Johnson | … | Lori’s Husband |
| Tony Lima | … | |
| Peter Madsen | … | Detective at Retirement Party (Interaction) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia