Hard Promises is a 1992 American romantic comedy film directed by Martin Davidson. It stars Sissy Spacek and William Petersen.[2]
| Hard Promises | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Martin Davidson |
| Written by | Jule Selbo |
| Produced by | Cynthia Chvatal |
| Starring | Sissy Spacek William Petersen Mare Winningham Peter MacNicol |
| Cinematography | Andrzej Bartkowiak |
| Edited by | Kimberly Domínguez Bonnie Koehler |
| Music by | George S. Clinton |
Production companies | High Horse Films Stone Group Pictures |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures (United States) Vision International (International)[1] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8 million[1] |
| Box office | $306,319 (USA) |
Plot
A man who dislikes stable work environments has been away for too many years when he finds out that his wife had divorced him and is planning to remarry. He comes home to confront her, trying to persuade her not to get married, aided by their daughter, who loves him despite his wandering ways. The couple finds out they still have feelings for each other but must decide how best to handle the contradiction of their lifestyles.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Sissy Spacek | Christine Ann Coalter |
| William Petersen | Joey |
| Brian Kerwin | Walt |
| Mare Winningham | Dawn |
| Olivia Burnette | Beth |
| Peter MacNicol | Stuart |
| Jeff Perry | Pinky |
| Ann Wedgeworth | Chris' mom |
| Amy Wright | Shelly |
| Lois Smith | Mrs. Bell |
| Margaret Bowman | Walt's Mom |
Production
Admiring the directing and acting skill of Lee Grant, Spacek agreed to take the role "only to work with Grant", although Grant was later replaced as its director.[3]
Critical reception
Vincent Canby of The New York Times did not care for the film but did praise some of the actors:[2]
Hard Promises is a barren little comedy that means to be romantic... For Hard Promises to be half as much fun as it intends to be, Joey should be a thoroughly likable scamp. For reasons that may be due to Jule Selbo's screenplay, Martin Davidson's direction or something in Mr. Petersen's screen personality, Joey is not the dreamboat the movie requires. He's a bore... The movie offers a lot of running gags that walk very slowly, and small roles to a number of very good actors, including Mare Winningham, Peter MacNicol, Lois Smith, Ann Wedgeworth and Amy Wright.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film had an aggregate score in November 2022 of 40% based on 2 positive and 3 negative critic reviews.[4]
