The Promise of Love (1980) Reviews

• Surprisingly effective drama

  srlucado2007-12-26

  I bought this movie from a dollar DVD rack, not expecting a whole lot, just basically wanting to see anything with cutie Valerie Bertinelli in it. I was pleasantly surprised to find a serious, well-acted drama about a young girl, fresh out of high school, who finds herself widowed before her 19th birthday. Shelley Long has a very effective supporting role as another Marine officer's wife, raising two kids while her husband is away (presumably in Vietnam). She plays very much against her stuffy nerdette type-cast. The movie is set in 1967, and has a couple of problems (it looks very 1980, not 1967; the ending is a bit pat; the production values are very typically TV-movie); but overall, it was well-written, well-performed, and quite engaging. I definitely got my dollar's worth.

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• Viet Nam & Iraq Suffering

  whpratt12006-07-18

  Unfortunately, after viewing this film starring Valerie Bertinelli,(Kathy Wakeman),"Trust Me",'05, I found that this film is being actually experienced by our young men and woman who are fighting now in Iraq as they were in Viet Nam. This is a wonderful romantic drama about a woman who decides to give up college and marry her boyfriend, who is in the Marines. Kathy has to adjust to being a military wife and does a good job of mixing with all the other wives who are stationed on the base. Kathy even takes up gardening to try and keep her mind off her husband who is in Viet Nam. Craig T. Nelson,(Major Landau),"The District",'04 TV Series, has some brief appearances along with Shelly Long,(Lorraine), who gives a great supporting role as her next door neighbor who has two young boys. Unfortunately, this is a story that seems to repeat itself every time we have war in the United States and the high price we all pay.

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• i like the movie

  american_girl_1979456902004-01-26

  i think you should show the movie on t.v again. please let me know when. thanks i think that there should be more movies like that one because everyone in my family likes them kinds of movies. i watch every movie with valerie in it. i think she is a good actress on screen

• Formulaic But Sweet

  dansview2012-04-21

  Every aspect of this film was telegraphed. I knew exactly what would happen, long, long, before it actually did. But that did not ruin it. Valerie was genuinely sweet and real. I believed her. Seeing Shelley Long and Craig T. Nelson in a 1980 film was not strange at all for me, because I was around then, to see them the first time. By the way, that was Jameson Parker, not Parker Stevenson. Totally different people. His character was refreshing. He understood what she needed, even though it conflicted with what he needed. Which is probably why I liked the film. It was about nice people, whom I could actually care about. Nice job.

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• Valerie Bertinelli shows the tradgic side of Vietnam in Promise Of Love

  Stanbabe2003-06-07

  In this comment on the tradgic effects of The Vietnam War.Ms.Bertinelli plays a young widow of a US Marine.Who is killed during America's intervention into it's worst.most stupid mistake in military history.With her husband dead and the military trying to force her to return to her family.Ms.Bertinelli refuses to give up her home and be treated like a pampered child.Unable to work with the mititary's unsuccessful social programs.She gets a job with the director of the base's rec center(played by Parker Stevenson.Best remembered for his previous tv efforts on "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries"and for playing one half of"Simon & Simon"With Mr.Gerald McRainey).Who not only helps her enjoy her life again but gives her the strength to move on.The plot is predictable.But Valerie Bertinelli performances makes this film an enjoyable flick worth watching.

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