Review of Promised Land (2012) by Roxanne R — 12 Jun 2013

Ok director Gus Van Sant and the cast shines here especially Matt Damon and Frances McDormand! Damon plays Steve Butler, an executive from Global natural gas company with an excellent track record for quickly and cheaply persuading land owners to sign mineral rights leases that grant drilling rights over to his employer.

So Steve and his partner Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand) arrive to an economically-struggling Pennsylvania farming town whose citizens are proud of having long-historied family farms passed from one generation to the next.

Enticing the land owners with fantastic riches, he slowly earns their trust but during a town hall meeting, a science teacher named Hal Holbrook (Frank Yates) raised important questions about the safety of hydraulic fracturing or "fracking", placing many of the farm owners on the fence regarding drilling rights.

As the film continues, we see how Steve Butler commences to question the ethics and morality of his employer. The longer he spends time with the town's people and a heart to heart talk with Holbrook opens his eyes to the man he has become.

Is that the person he was meant to be? Can his conscience look the other way as the lives of these people are placed in danger? This film is powerful, moving and Lisa Kennedy from the Denver Post said it best: "a well-wrought drama that feels genuine as it goes about spinning a tale worthy of our challenging times".

You may start out disliking Steve Butler but life gives you second chances to redeem yourself. Although not as great as Erin Brockovich, who thanks to her relentless efforts brought a Gas and Electric company to their knees in a multi-million dollar lawsuit, Promised Land still manages to deliver big time and yes I recommend it!