"Promises in the Dark" was made in 1979. It is a film that is worth viewing and considering in the light of how subjects such as life support and the doctor-patient relationship are viewed after the passing of several decades. It turns out that "Promises in the Dark" holds up very well and raises provocative questions equally as valid today as in 1979.
The film was successful in portraying the relationship of a caring doctor (Marsha Mason as Dr. Alexandra Kendall) and her patient (Kathleen Beller as Buffy Koenig), who is stricken with cancer. The doctor truly listens to the patient and responds with great warmth and compassion.
However, a weakness of the film lies in the subplots that often seemed extraneous and underdeveloped. This was especially true in Dr. Kendall's budding romance with the radiologist. The goal was apparently to reveal Dr. Kendall coming out of her shell following a divorce, due to the inspiration of her patient Buffy. But the romantic subplot of the two doctors fizzled.
The relationship of Buffy to her parents also raised questions that were never resolved in the film. On the surface, Buffy's relationship with her mother and father seemed loving. But it was never clear why the young patient, who is apparently a high school senior, would confide in the doctor and would not open up to her parents. And why does the concerned mother not come to the daughter's aid when she needs oxygen? That scene with the mother sitting on the stairs while the daughter is choking upstairs either needed clarity or deletion from the film.
The film is especially memorable for the luminous presence of Marsha Mason. There was great feeling in her performance, and Beller was also moving in her characterization. It was in the doctor-patient scenes that the film left an indelible impression about human compassion.
The film was successful in portraying the relationship of a caring doctor (Marsha Mason as Dr. Alexandra Kendall) and her patient (Kathleen Beller as Buffy Koenig), who is stricken with cancer. The doctor truly listens to the patient and responds with great warmth and compassion.
However, a weakness of the film lies in the subplots that often seemed extraneous and underdeveloped. This was especially true in Dr. Kendall's budding romance with the radiologist. The goal was apparently to reveal Dr. Kendall coming out of her shell following a divorce, due to the inspiration of her patient Buffy. But the romantic subplot of the two doctors fizzled.
The relationship of Buffy to her parents also raised questions that were never resolved in the film. On the surface, Buffy's relationship with her mother and father seemed loving. But it was never clear why the young patient, who is apparently a high school senior, would confide in the doctor and would not open up to her parents. And why does the concerned mother not come to the daughter's aid when she needs oxygen? That scene with the mother sitting on the stairs while the daughter is choking upstairs either needed clarity or deletion from the film.
The film is especially memorable for the luminous presence of Marsha Mason. There was great feeling in her performance, and Beller was also moving in her characterization. It was in the doctor-patient scenes that the film left an indelible impression about human compassion.