On the day of his retirement, Nevada homicide detective Jerry Black (JACK NICHOLSON) lingers in his office one last time before putting on a brave face at the surprise party thrown in his honor. Humbled by the generosity of his colleagues, Jerry accepts their gift - an airline ticket for his dream fishing trip to Mexico - with grace. But when the body of a murdered eight-year-old girl is discovered in the snow-blanketed mountains, the reluctant retiree is unable to step aside. Jerry offers his expertise at the crime scene, and takes it upon himself to deliver the devastating news to the victim's parents.
The grieving mother begs Jerry for answers. Faced with the tragic nature of the crime, the parents' suffering and his own uncertainty about life after the police force, Jerry swears on his soul to find the killer.
When an ambitious younger cop wrenches a dubious confession from a simple-minded suspect, the case is closed... but not for Jerry. Despite the skepticism of his peers, Jerry follows his hunch that the real killer is still at large and set to strike again.
But how far will Jerry go to fulfill his promise? And at what cost?
Academy Award-winner Jack Nicholson stars as Jerry Black, a Nevada homicide detective who volunteers for one final investigation on the eve of his retirement. "I've got six hours left on the clock," insists Jerry, who offers his expertise at the compromised crime scene and ends up making a promise to the young victim's mother (Patricia Clarkson) that will change his life forever. "It's one of those existential situations he's presented with and he has to choose how to relate to these people," explains Jack Nicholson. "It's a combination of Jerry not really wanting to leave the familiar scene of his life, and the enormity of the crime and the emotion presented to him by the victimized family."
Following through on his pledge, Jerry observes the interrogation of suspect Toby Jay Wadenah (Benicio Del Toro), who was identified while fleeing the crime scene. Detective Stan Krolak (Aaron Eckhart) wrenches a questionable confession from the simple-minded ex-con, who quickly shoots himself with a detective's gun, and the case is closed.
But Jerry can't shake his gut instinct - an innocent man confessed to the crime - and he can't shake the vow he made. From the airport bar on his way to his retirement gift of a fishing trip to Mexico, Jerry resolves to begin his own investigation, with no leads and no authority, into the murder. "I see this as a retirement crisis story," says director Sean Penn, whose previous collaboration with Jack Nicholson, "The Crossing Guard," garnered worldwide critical acclaim. "A guy adopts a kind of mission to supply his life with purpose. That's the driving notion behind the film."
Producer Michael Fitzgerald elaborates, "He's obsessed with trying to get rid of this monster that no one else even believes exists."
An interview with the victim's grandmother, Annalise (Vanessa Redgrave), deepens Jerry's resolve, as does information linking two eerily similar - but unsolved - murders in the area. A figure drawn by the little girl shortly before her death convinces Jerry that the killer is still at large and he can use the clues from the drawing to find him.
But when Jerry presents his theory and evidence to his ex-colleagues, they refuse to re-open the case. As they dispute Jerry's judgment, their pity is palpable - the poor guy just can't let go of the job - and his former boss Eric Pollack (Sam Shepard) questions the purpose of Jerry's investigation. "Jerry says, 'I made a promise. You're old enough to remember when that meant something,'" Nicholson notes. "That line came from my heart, really. When I give my word, I think it means something."
When Jerry turns to a doctor (Helen Mirren) for analysis of the dead girl's drawing, she suggests that the killer is set to strike again soon. However, she cautions Jerry about his single-minded focus: is he leading the investigation, or is the investigation leading him?
Driven by his promise, the tenacious fisherman buys a rundown gas station at a strategic intersection. "He's looking at the junctures like he might the junctures of tributaries and streams," explains Nicholson. "He checks his maps, checks the traffic, and decides this is the place where he has the best chance of catching the killer."
In the process, Jerry befriends Lori, a local waitress (Robin Wright Penn) who has been bruised and battered by her ex-husband. Jerry offers his home and his protection to Lori and her young daughter Chrissy (Pauline Roberts), and his life is suddenly and unexpectedly enriched by their company.
"Jerry chooses a place strategically in this middle of where these killings are taking place," Penn says. "But bit by bit, in the unfolding of his relationship with Chrissy, his motives become less clear-cut."
"So much of his activity has dual purpose, and that's part of what makes this an unusual picture," says Nicholson. "You don't know the depths of Jerry's obsession until he steps over the line and doesn't really realize that he may be using this child as live bait."
Adds Penn, "I like the moral ambiguity of the pledge itself and the way Jerry follows through on it. This film isn't about the killer or the crimes. It's about the investigator."
"Fundamentally, this is a film about a man who makes a promise and intends to keep it," Fitzgerald concurs. "His promise is what drives the detective story. But we also throw chance into the mix, and watch it ripple in unusual, unexpected ways."
"There are hundreds of detective films and detective television shows, but I don't think there's one quite like this," Nicholson concludes.
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