The Promise (1979)

Two college students (Kathleen Quinlan, Stephen Collins) are in love and are on the way to be married when they are involved in a horrendous auto crash. The girl is horribly disfigured and while in the hospital, the boy's wealthy mother (Beatrice Straight) offers to pay all the expenses to have her face reconstructed by a top plastic surgeon. The price? Never to see her son again. Directed by Gilbert Cates (I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER), this soap opera romance is poorly constructed and with glaring plot holes that render it near ridiculous. I won't even go into the cringe inducing dialog. In truth though, it's no worse than those awful Nicholas Sparks (THE NOTEBOOK) movie romances that are popular. It doesn't help that Stephen Collins is one of those generic good looking actors with the personality of a glass of milk. Laurence Luckinbill as Quinlan's plastic surgeon is much more attractive as both a character and an actor. The classiest thing about the film is the beautiful David Shire score which includes the Oscar nominated song I'll Never Say Goodbye sung by Melissa Manchester. With Bibi Besch, Michael O'Hare and William Prince.