The Pledge (2001) is a drama/thriller movie, directed by Sean Penn. It is based on a novel of the same name by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Dürrenmatt wrote the novel along with the screenplay for the 1958 film Es geschah am hellichten Tag (It Happened in Broad Daylight).

Plot

Jerry Black (played by Nicholson) is a retired detective, who during his retirement party decides to join one of his colleagues in one last case. The case involves the molested body of an eight year old girl, found in the mountains of Nevada. After breaking the news to the girl's parents, Jerry makes a pledge to the distraught mother that he would find the killer. The chief suspect is a mentally challenged Native American (played by Del Toro). Jerry doesn't believe that he is the killer; so he begins investigating. He learns that two similar incidents had occurred in the area. Mindful of the pledge he made, he buys an old gas station in the mountains, and searches for a tall man who calls himself the Wizard, using clues from a drawing done by the murdered girl.

He is the only person to suspect that a serial killer is involved, and his obsession with finding the killer begins to erode his sanity as he strives to keep his promise.

Tagline: Detective Jerry Black has made a promise he can't break, to catch a killer he can't find.

Filming

The film was shot mainly on location in the British Columbia interior in Canada. While the opening scenes were filmed in Reno, Nevada, the rest of the film was shot in Keremeos, Princeton, Hedley, Merritt and Lytton, all in BC.

Cast

• Jack Nicholson — Jerry Black
• Robin Wright Penn — Lori
• Patricia Clarkson — Margaret Larsen
• Benicio Del Toro — Toby Jay Wadenah
• Sam Shepard — Eric Pollack
• Tom Noonan — Gary Jackson
• Mickey Rourke — Jim Olstad
• Harry Dean Stanton — Floyd Cage
• Vanessa Redgrave — Annalise Hansen
• Helen Mirren — Doctor
• Dale Dickey — Strom
• Wendy Donaldson — Resort Owner (as Wendy Morrow Donaldson)
• Adrien Dorval — Sheriff (as P. Adrien Dorval)
• Aaron Eckhart — Stan Krolak
• Shawn Henter — Bus Driver
• Kathy Jensen — Store Clerk
• Taryn Knowles — Ginny Larsen
• Nels Lennarson — Hank
• Beau Daniels — Rudy Karin
• Costas Mandylor — Monash Deputy
• J.J. McColl — Real Estate Agent
• Gordon May — Criminologist #1
• Gardiner Millar — Deputy #3
• Adam Nelson — Deputy #1
• Lucy Schmidt — Alma Cage
• Pauline Roberts — Chrissy

External links

• Official site

2001 films Drama films Thriller films | Films based on thriller novels