Anti-fracking screed or portrait of small town America trying to survive in today's topsy-turvy economy? Maybe both perhaps, but there's no doubt that when Matt Damon and John Krasinski's "Promised Land" arrives at the end of the year, it will spark many discussions .
Directed by Gus Van Sant (though Damon was originally planning to helm the picture himself, but scheduling didn't allow him enough prep time) the story follows Steve Butler (Damon), a corporate salesman who arrives in a struggling rural town with his sales partner, Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand) to try and obtain drilling rights for their land. However, their deal comes up against a grassroots campaign led by local citizen (Krasinski) and a respected schoolteacher (Hal Holbrook).
As one of small handful of films left in 2012 that hasn't yet screened for anyone, the verdict is still out on the film. If you need a refresher, check out the trailer here. "Promised Land" goes into limited release on December 28th. [EW]