Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Brightlyme i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

Kodie Bird True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Martin Onassis I caught this film on one of the newer movie channels that run essentially unknown movies from the past. This 1992 completely passed me by at the time. It's so nondescript there isn't much to hang on, other than Sissy Spacek, who was a star at the time. William Petersen was still floundering as a box office draw (a shame), a good decade ahead of his fame on CSI, but a brilliant actor nonetheless.This film creeps in on you, as you sort of expect a mindless romantic comedy, since it's so light-hearted for the first hour, as Petersen's character employs every trick in the book to try to get his wife back. The film is very stealthy the way it lures you in with mindless fun and then mild rooting for a man pulling all the romantic stops out to get back his woman, but it just doesn't turn out that way, and is a wonderfully real and thought-provoking film in that sense.It reminds me a bit of the Wedding Singer, which also covered the topic of an aging ladies man facing realities, though this film isn't sidetracked at its climax.Then again, the sleepy town everyone is so happy in is supported by a local steel mill that by now, would have shut down, and thrown everyone out of work. Maybe Petersen's Joey character is getting the best outcome anyway. Regardless, Petersen's acting is superb, and you really feel the conflict, pride, and hurt in the trials he goes through to let what was a good wife slip through his fingers, and try to rescue what he can with his daughter.In the end, what starts as almost a light-hearted farce gets very real and very instructive, and can hit a bit too close to home for any aging Peter Pans. I wouldn't call this escapist fare, but not bad viewing for a man in his late 20s early 30s, which is ironic considering it's something more akin to the lifetime channel. It's message to women is one they know - a steady man is worth marrying. Not exactly a revelation, so I would say this movie is a romantic parable for men - quite a rarity.

mspeed44 I recently re-watched this movie and found the story tends to grow on you with a second viewing. Sissy is always good. William Petersen is such a charmer; even when playing a cad. How many of us have known Joey, unable to move beyond his short-term fame in high school (or college), still wanting the sound and thrill of teenage girls around him. One day, he looks around and realizes his own child is on the threshold of being a teenager and his faithful, sweetheart from high school has grown into an adult and is leaving him behind. That's the story set in a beautiful place with typical neighbors and friends. Watch it for the ending and decide where you fit into this story!

aimless-46 "Hard Promises" is a bit like a doing a rural remake of "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" into which you incorporate the basic premise of "Sweet Home Alabama". While not in the same league as the former, it is considerably less offensive than the latter-which it may have inspired.Billed as a romantic "comedy", the film contains little humor (unless you are still amused by small town stock characters) and nothing profound in the romance department. But like "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" it is about the interplay of love, freedom, and caring among people who have allowed a considerable distance to grow up between each other.It features a nice performance by Sissy Spacek (who looks unexpectedly sexy and beautiful) and a nice portrayal of a charismatic character by William Peterson. Yet they are both upstaged by Olivia Burnette who plays the film's Francie character (handled so well by Peggy Ann Garner in "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn").Joey Coalter (Peterson) is an aimless free-spirit who neglects his wife and daughter while drifting around the country. Like Johnny in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" he is full of unfulfilled promises and pipe dreams. He returns on the eve of his wife Christine's (Spacek) wedding; having been alerted by his daughter that Christine has obtained a divorce during his latest absence. About all Joey has going for him with viewers is that he loves both his daughter and his wife. About all he still has going for him with Christine is the charisma of a free- spirit and a continuing physical attraction.His daughter Beth (Burnette) is his ally in his attempts to salvage their family, as she is not particularly fond of her mother's fiancée (Brian Kerwin). Kerwin's stable but boring character is the polar opposite of Joey and she thinks her mother is overcompensating for Joey's historical unreliability."Hard Promises" is mostly dedicated to exploring Joey's inherent and impossible to change aimlessness. This gets a little oppressive if you are looking for a dynamic story but the film is a successful exercise in unity and style. The score and the editing reinforce this theme and provide a surprising number of really beautiful and moving film moments. The climax is unconventional and they go out on a nice scene between father and daughter. It is an unexpectedly slick production, a triumph of style over substance-but in a good way. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

gfgbabycakes232 Yes it's the typical love story, William Petersen is mad that his love is going to marry someone else and he goes to win her back, it's a very ordinary typical story, with an original bitter sweet ending. GREAT performance by William Petersen. It's about a man who finally realizes that he took advantage of the best thing he had, and in a 2 day span i believe he matures more in his entire life. Joey (William Petersen) plays the cool captain of the football team, lady's charmer, bad boy rough neck who's used to always having everything go his way. He loves to travel for long periods of time leaving his wife and daughter back home.The only way the marriage has lasted this long is because he comes home sweeps his wife off his feet, becomes dad of the year for one day out of the year, mends his wife's heart only to rip it out again and leave. Finally his wife is tired of being a life long one night stand, and is engaged to Walt. Joey's daughter (who absolutely idolises her father) sends him a wedding invitation so he'll come back home. He's oblivious to the fact they even got divorced, and he is stabbed with cold jealous Immaturely he first gets to town and walks up and punches walt in the face. The next day he tries his hardest to win his wife back, and she realizes she does still love him. The night before their wedding they have a romantic intimate night and Joey thinks everything is alright. But Walt comes to the house the next morning and she chooses him. Hurt and confused he goes and gets a job, prooving to his wife he swears he will not leave (which is NOT another lie, he finally realizes how great he has it and is serious about staying.) His wife explains that she loves him, but she can't go back to all the heartache and she's made her decision. Finally he matures and it hits him that he screwed up the best thing he had, and for once he can't fix it with his charm, and he accepts it. The last scene wraps it all up; it's him and his daughter swinging and he's promising that he'll come back next summer and they can build a cabin together and she says "Daddy, you don't have to make me promises, i'll love you anyways."And he realizes this extreme truth out of his third grade daughters mouth, that love is complex and you can't weasel your way in and out of it. EVerything falls into place, he realizes the way things are suppose to be. Really great movie.