Promises in the Dark

A remarkable film about the most disturbing subject of all.

Promises in the Dark — Plot

A young doctor, Alexandra Kendall, seeking change while recovering from a recent heartbreak, moves from Chicago, Illinois to Hartford, Connecticut. She joins the West Hartford medical practice of Dr. Walter McInterny, a doctor approaching retirement age. 17-year-old Elizabeth "Buffy" Koenig is a precocious student at West Hartford's William Hall High School. Her boyfriend Gerry is a football player at Hall High. While Dr. McInterny is away on vacation, longtime patient Buffy hurts her leg while harmlessly kicking a soccer ball during Gerry's nearby football practice. At the hospital, Dr. Kendall finds that not only is the leg broken, but the bone was also weakened by cancer. Dr. Kendall treats Buffy and the two develop a bond that extends beyond the doctor-patient relationship; Dr. Kendall is drawn to Buffy's humor and raw honesty.

• Release date
• November 2, 1979
• Runtime
• 118 min
• Genres
• Drama
• Director
• Jerome Hellman

Promises in the Dark — Cast

Marsha Mason Dr. Alexandra Kendall Ned Beatty Bud Koenig Susan Clark Fran Koenig Michael Brandon Dr. Jim Sandman Kathleen Beller Elizabeth (Buffy) Koenig Donald Moffat Dr. Walter McInerny Bonnie Bartlett Nurse Farber James Noble Dr. Blankenship