La Promesse

Original title: Promise

TV Movie
1986
1h 37m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

When his mother dies, Bob not only inherits her house, but also the custody of his younger brother, who suffers from schizophrenia and epilepsy. At the age of 21, Bob promised to look after ... Read allWhen his mother dies, Bob not only inherits her house, but also the custody of his younger brother, who suffers from schizophrenia and epilepsy. At the age of 21, Bob promised to look after his brother. Although he has barely seen him in the many years since then and strives agai... Read allWhen his mother dies, Bob not only inherits her house, but also the custody of his younger brother, who suffers from schizophrenia and epilepsy. At the age of 21, Bob promised to look after his brother. Although he has barely seen him in the many years since then and strives against the commitment, he doesn't dare to put him in a home either.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

517

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 5 Primetime Emmys
- 7 wins & 6 nominations total

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User reviews13

7.6517

Featured reviews

10Bronco46

Amazing!!

There weren't enough awards to properly honor this great made for TV movie. Whoever cast this film did an amazing job. Garner was great, but Woods was over the top great. He was amazing in this film. And those two actors together created a moving thought provoking story. I came across it by accident on Turner Classic Movies. I was just surfing by and saw James Garner and stopped to see what he was up to in this film. And I was rewarded with this marvelous story. I'm not going to spell the story out as some reviewers do. Enough people have already done that. I just want to add my voice to the others that have endorsed this film. Since it was on TV it didn't have the weight or promotion that a theatrical film might get. Don't miss this film. You'll be well rewarded.

9planktonrules

Sadly revealing a dark secret about mental illness...

"Promise" is an exceptionally good made for television movie. The acting is wonderful but it also is well worth seeing because it exposes a serious and usually neglected problem...the lack of programs to deal with the millions of folks dealing with mental illnesses.

When the film begins, Bob (James Garner) is dealing with his mother's death. However, what you don't initially see is Bob's brother, D.J. (James Woods)...another responsibility Bob needs to take care of now that their mother is dead. It seems that D.J. is chronically mentally ill and is unable to care for himself...and that sure complicates Bob's life. He clearly wants nothing to do with D.J. but he promised his mother long, long ago that he'd watch over D.J. after her death. Much of the film consists of Bob learning to care about this estranged brother as well as his coming to realize that this responsibility is just too much for him to handle.

This is naturally a sad film. What's worse is that it exposes a serious unspoken problem--that there simply are very few facilities to deal with the severely mentally ill--whether in-patient or within the community. There are waiting lists, expenses and other hurdles the average person might not be able to handle...and the film is about Bob's struggle with this and his promise. Well done in every way but be forewarned...it's certainly NOT a feel-good movie!

10yelowduk

A rare gem

Among hundreds of nearly worthless made for TV movies, this rare gem shines. James Woods performance as a mentally handicapped adult is one of the best of his career. The script is sensitively written and the dialog will touch your heart. I only wish this film were available on DVD or VHS.

royjean

Garner and Woods were nice to everyone watching

My wife and I were extras for a few scenes. I got to be behind the scenes and spend a lot of time watching two famous Hollywood Actors. I was pleased to see them posing for pictures and signing autographs to the people gathered watching the filming. They could have ran into their private trailers, but waited around all 14 hrs of each day. Garner had an obvious bad cold, but did not try to go indoors during delays. The only negative observation was that both Garner and Woods smoked non-stop during delays. I've seen them do it in numerous movies since then, actually in the movies...I had never thought about it prior to this. They both deserved the Emmy they each won. The movie was a very good movie, making you squirm in your seats, wondering what Woods character would do next. Thanks guys

guybuc

Arguably the best on the subject and in the genre.

Yes, Garner can cry and seem masculine at the same time better then all. James Woods is unparalleled in his ability to play a distraught over the edge personality. That is not what makes this movie.

James Garner, James Woods, an award winning director et alia come together to give a rarity--no dissolution into non-reality trickery. How's that for pompous "review-speak"? What I mean is that this movie manages to give the feeling that you are watching the character's lives unfold in front of you. The lives take center stage, not tricks of writing, acting, or directing.

This is the difference between maudlin "disease of the week" movies and what they try to imitate, movies such as this rarity.

Watch this movie to see a "real" movie. Oddly enough this compelling reality reminds me of "Twelve Angry Men"--totally different, yet real also.

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
James Woods' favorite role.

Quotes
Bob Beuhler: D.J.
D.J.: Hi, Bobby.
Bob Beuhler: How do you feel?
D.J.: I'm feeling better.
Bob Beuhler: Good. The doctor said you were.
D.J.: I could hear you trying to help me. I wanted you to say I'm sorry...
Bob Beuhler: No.
D.J.: But I couldn't.
Bob Beuhler: It's my fault too.
D.J.: Yes, it is. Because you don't what it's like.
Bob Beuhler: I guess I don't.
D.J.: Do you wanna know what it's like, Bobby?
Bob Beuhler: Sure.
D.J.: It's like all the electric wires in the house are plugged into my brain and everyone has a different noise so I can't think. Some of the wires have voices in them and they tell me things like what to do and that people are watching me. I know there really aren't any voices but I feel that there are, that I should listen to them or something will happen. That's why I sat for all the ads on TV because I feel the voice and the ad is talking to me. I hear them talking to me. He tells me to buy the things and well I'm afraid if I don't. I see things in the crowd, I see people looking at me and talking, I hear them talking about me and sometimes I hear them planning to kill me. I don't want to. I want to be like everybody else. I want to be like you, Bobby. I remember when it was like before. I was a class officer, I had friends. I was going to be an aeronautical engineer. You remember, Bobby? Do you remember me?
Bob Beuhler: Of course I do.
D.J.: I've never had a job. I've never owned a car. I've never lived alone. I've never made love to a woman. And I never will. That's what it's like. You should know. That's why I'm Hindu because maybe it's true. Maybe people are born again and if there is a God, maybe he'll give me another chance, I believe that. Because this can't be all I got.