WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

cubicneon Creative gal meets architect student and of course they are very young and full of promise. The story is one about a tragic twist of fate that leaves you with a good feeling after the fella figures out why this artist pulls on his heartstrings. The ending at the cliff where it's all figured out leaves me in tears no matter how many times I see it. Pluses include the extra information about the cosmetic surgery. Friend, Ben is a handsome and has the spark of the youthful college jock even years later as he works with Collins. Quinlan is very beautiful, and the early shots of her before the accident is a compliment to the makeup artist.Quinlan and Collins really made this movie work. Both are so believable and their chemistry is felt by the viewer.

peas_n_okra The story isn't really unique, but it's the assemblage of players that makes it work so well. It's a love story, a story of deceit and a story of revenge, of sorts, that relies on more than one promise. The beginning is a montage that shows the viewer the uncomplicated, yet intense, love between two young college students. Enter the complication, a near-fatal car crash.Then, enter mother. Beatrice Straight plays "matron" so well, it almost creeps one out. Authoritative, hard, selfish. One has to believe that the two lovers, Nancy (Kathleen Quinlan) and Michael (Stephen Collins) just couldn't be stopped had the car accident not shattered their lives. Fate intervened, choices had to be made, situations were controlled with undeniable uncaring. But life has a way of stepping in; destiny will not be driven from its path. The cast is perfect and the music is obvious, but not intrusive. This is a film I've watched several times and have never been disappointed in.

triple8 Now cmon-"The Promise" may not be the best love story ever written(although it IS one of the sappiest) but for what it is, it's pretty good. Although I will concede, the book is miles better then the movie I don't think the movie can be discounted as a bad film-even if it is a little outdated. Minor Ending spoilers:First-make no mistake this is what it is-A SAPPY, LOVE STORY made primarily to appeal to females(though I beg to differ about men not liking it-some men actually do!). While this movie may seem to sappy, to unbelievable and to dated now, I still think it had a certain pureness and a simpleness of story telling that you'd never find today. It makes you believe, even if only briefly in pure untainted love where NOTHING can destroy it-the book was a favorite of mine growing up and the movie, while somehow not living up to the book at all still retains a sweet place in my heart. I DO agree that the ending here was messed up, it may have ended happy but the camera angle WASN'T right as mentioned and the ending was to choppy and quick-although it was happy it didn't linger-we wanted more!I think there are far worse love stories out there then The Promise-at least it's still remembered and talked about after all these years.

Poseidon-3 ***Spoilers Rampant*** This stupefyingly bad romantic drama deserves a place in the annals of movies that are so bad they become good for all the wrong reasons. In the beginning, Collins and Quinlan go through all the 1970's gum-commercial moments to show us that they are "in love", culminating in their burial of a carnival necklace to signify their love and spouting some of the most ludicrous dialogue ever written. This is played with utter sincerity although Quinlan is decked out in all sorts of face-altering make-up so that she'll look different (and hopefully better) in the last 2/3rds of the film. Smeared with tan pancake make-up, wearing a wig that Marlo Thomas vetoed on "That Girl", donned with eye and nose prosthetics that give her a homely appearance and speaking in a whiny, annoying voice, she is anything but what one would imagine as a dream lover. But that's not all! They also outfitted her with false buck teeth which leave her unable to fully close her lips, so many of her words come out jangled and unintelligible. For example, when confronted by Collins with the prospect of marriage, she replies, "I don't need a feece of fafer..." So she can barely open her eyes and can't close her mouth when she and Collins and his best friend (a total buffoon who rinses toothpaste out of his mouth with BEER!!) are smashed up in a horrific car collision with a truck. From this point on, not one logical thing happens and the story takes on such an orchestra of contrivances that it becomes science fiction. Collins' gorgon of a mother (who viewers know is evil because she smokes cigarettes constantly through a plastic holder) pays to have Quinlan's face put back on, but only if she'll stay away from Collins. The mother (played by Straight) doesn't want a love affair with :::gasp::: an orphan to mess with her plans for Collins' career. So she tells Collins that Quinlan is dead. He apparently takes her word for it without ever once looking into it or even trying to see if there's a grave! A complete set of wild contrivances finally reunite the long lost couple.......and he doesn't even recognize her! You see, she is now the "normal" Quinlan replete with trendy new duds and full on glamour make-up, so he has no clue it's the chipmunk who was in the car crash with him. (And she is quite lovely. She is showcased in a wide variety of hairstyles and outfits.) It all keeps spiralling until they wind up back at the carnival necklace......at almost precisely the same time.....and have a "poignant" reunion. Astonishingly, this film, crazy and as bad as it is, still can manage to draw tears during that final scene from those who have gone along for the (insane!) ride! Collins gives a very heartfelt performance in it (however, Quinlan remains strangely stoic, which hurts the final clinch.) This movie is clearly inspired by such classic tear-jerkers as "Madame X" and "An Affair to Remember" and cribs from both of them. However, by 1979, that type of storytelling had lost all sense of reality....today even more so! It should have been a period piece. Amazingly, the director Cates had previously given audiences the stark and grim "I Never Sang For My Father" before offering up this hoot. Fans of soapy dramas who don't require much reality will love it. Fans of campy, unintentional humor will also eat it up. The only person who will likely hate it is any straight man. He will probably be off the couch and out the door before Melissa Manchester finishes howling the title song!