I'm normally all in favor of films that seem to actively defy being slid into a particular genre or category, and certain director Gus Van Sant's latest effort fits that bill (most of his films do). In a lot of ways, PROMISED LAND is a throwback film to works of the 1970s that wore their political agenda on their sleeves. But this movie also wants to be charming and folksy, and for the most part, it succeeds, with the exception of a gross miscalculation of an ending. The topic up for discussion here is the process of fracking, a process natural gas companies use to push their product to the surface and capture it. Companies buy up land rights from mostly lower- and middle-class families (many of them farmers) and pump a bunch of chemicals into the ground, which have been said to seep into the natural wells and aquifers of the area and leach toxins to the surface and into the drinking water. The visual of water coming out of the tap and being lit on fire is unforgettable. The land dies, and with it, the animals that feed off the land.
In a bold move, PROMISED LAND casts Matt Damon as Steve Butler, the natural gas man who comes to a small town with his partner Sue (Frances McDormand) and starts signing up people to give up their land rights for piles of cash—even more money if there's a gas deposit. These folks sure could use the money, and Steve grew up on a farm so he's aware of what these people are going through economically. But a few unexpected obstacles come between Steve and his contracts getting signed.
First is a local science teacher (Hal Holbrook) who actually knows how to use the internet and does a little digging on the fracking process and its consequences. He causes something of a stir at a town meeting, but that's nothing compared to environmentalist Dustin Noble (John Krasinski) leading a grassroots campaign to have Steve, Sue and their company thrown right out of town—a town that is now very divided between those who want to protect the land and those who want the payout so they can get the hell out of Dodge. Further complicating things is that Steve starts to fall for Alice (Rosemarie DeWitt), a local woman who also catches the eye of Dustin. I could have done without the love story, but DeWitt at least makes it palpable.
As strange as it may sound, PROMISED LAND doesn't really have any bad guys—at least not any shown on the screen. Steve honestly believes the current science that fracking is not a proven danger to the community. He wants to do right by these people because he knows where they're coming from. On the other hand, Dustin is a master manipulator. It's as if he knows what Steve's next move is going to be three moves ahead, and he's always there to counter with a better offer or viewpoint. But the real strength of the film is Van Sant's ability to capture little moments that make the town feel authentic. Scenes in the local watering hole or the way most people react to Steve coming to their door to give his pitch. One of my favorite supporting players is Lucas Black as Paul Geary, a guy who is ready to sign on the dotted line and buy a sports car with his check. He has no sense of the long term, and that's kind of the point.
The screenplay for PROMISED LAND was co-written by Damon and Krasinski (based on a story by Dave Eggers), and while their two characters seem custom made for these actors, Krasinski's Dustin has a few surprises in store for everyone. While the idea that corporations don't have the interests of individuals or small towns at heart isn't a new one, the story seems more interested in showing us how, for some, the payout is the only means of survival. The righteous path is a little more difficult to see when these are the stakes. There's a final town meeting scene that threatens to derail the entire film, but thankfully Van Sant has done such a fine job keeping things steady up to that point, I can forgive the downright dopey ending.
It's not my job to dish out box office predictions, but I'm not exactly sure who this film is aimed at or will appeal to. The acting is solid, the banter between Damon and McDormand rises above the material, and the film's ability to capture reality in this type of community is probably its greatest strength. But will anyone care? I hope so, because there's certainly a lot here to appreciate and enjoy. PROMISED LAND is certainly an improvement over Van Sant's last film, RESTLESS, but not quite at the level of MILK. That's still a pretty impressive stage to occupy. If you want to see a film in which the stakes don't feel quite as high (even though they should) and a running time not quite as long, this might fit the bill.
