Nicholson Makes 'The Pledge'
L O S A N G E L E S, Jan. 10 -- The perennially laid-back Jack Nicholson appears even more subdued than usual. Barely a week into the new year, he's suffering from a wicked head cold and a sore throat.
"I think I picked it up from one of my kids," he explains inhis oft-imitated speaking style, after taking a sip of hot tea.
Nicholson has enough clout that he could have called in sick forthis interview. But for the veteran actor, the show must go on.
And so, with his trademark sunglasses folded neatly in front ofhim, he dutifully sits down in a small L.A. hotel meeting roomsurrounded by a half dozen reporters to promote a crime thrillercalled The Pledge. In it, he plays a dedicated police detectivenamed Jerry Black who takes one last case on the day he retiresfrom the force.
Unusual Plot Drew Nicholson's Attention
The Pledge is less a story about crime than a tale about theimpact a vicious homicide has upon the survivors. The title refersto a vow Black makes to the victim's distraught mother to find thekiller. The retired detective becomes obsessed with his promise,even if it means potentially putting those closest to him in harm'sway. The crime drama — whose cast includes Benicio Del Toro, AaronEckhart, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, Sam Shepard and HarryDean Stanton — ends in a way that's atypical of Hollywood movies.
It was the story's unconventional plot that drew Nicholson tothe material in the first place. "With all the detective andpolice films that are out there, this one is different," Nicholsonsays. "Whenever anything is unique or looks like it's going to begood, it's worth doing."
The Pledge is the first film Nicholson has starred in sincehis 1997 Academy Award-winning turn as a neurotic romance novelistin As Good As it Gets. "I took a year or so off after thatbecause we had worked hard on [it]," explains the actor. "I liketo clean my system out. When I want to work, I find the mostcreative situation I can."
Creative Partnership With Director Sean Penn
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