The Pledge (2001)
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A detective's commitment to finding a child's killer leads him into a haunting, complex investigation.
The story
Aging Reno, Nevada, police detective Jerry Black attends a retirement party where he is gifted a trip to Mexico. The celebration is interrupted by the discovery of a murdered child, Ginny Larsen. After the girl's mother makes Jerry swear on a cross to find the killer, a suspect is apprehended and subsequently commits suicide. Despite the case being officially closed, Jerry remains haunted by his pledge. He begins a private investigation, uncovering a series of similar unsolved cases in the area. His search leads him to a nearby gas station where he begins to form connections with the local residents, all while trying to uncover the truth behind the girl's death.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a local suspect is found and commits suicide, Detective Jerry Black refuses to let the case go. He discovers that Ginny's death is part of a pattern of similar crimes in the region. He moves into a house behind a gas station and takes in a woman, Lori, and her daughter, Chrissy, after she is attacked. Jerry develops a fatherly bond with Chrissy while investigating the 'wizard' who gives her candy. He eventually stages a sting operation to catch the killer, but the suspect dies in a car accident during the operation. The film ends with a despondent, intoxicated Jerry alone at his ruined gas station, knowing the killer remains at large.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sean Penn
- Writers
- Jerzy Kromolowski · screenplay; Mary Olson-Kromolowski · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jack Nicholson; Patricia Clarkson; Benicio del Toro; Aaron Eckhart; Helen Mirren; Tom Noonan; Robin Wright Penn; Vanessa Redgrave; Mickey Rourke; Sam Shepard; Lois Smith; Harry Dean Stanton
- Genres
- neo-noir; psychological thriller
- Themes
- obsession; justice; paternal protection
- Tone and mood
- grim; haunting
- Premise and plot tags
- police procedural; mystery
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1958 novella by Swiss writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 78% · review count: 125; Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 33
- Awards and nominations
- Palme d'Or · Cannes Film Festival · 2001 · NOMINATED; Bodil · Danish · 2002 · NOMINATED; ALMA Award · Benicio Del Toro · 2002 · NOMINATED; Young Artist Award · Brittany Tiplady · 2002 · NOMINATED; World Soundtrack Award · Hans Zimmer · 2001 · NOMINATED
- Production trivia
- The film was shot primarily in the British Columbia interior.; The film is based on a novella by Swiss writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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