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A Promise to Carolyn

  • TV Movie
  • 1996
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
398
YOUR RATING
Swoosie Kurtz and Delta Burke in A Promise to Carolyn (1996)
True CrimeCrimeDrama

Two feuding adult sisters from a dysfunctional family decide to finally uncover the truth about a childhood trauma, the sudden death of their third sibling, from back in the 1950's.Two feuding adult sisters from a dysfunctional family decide to finally uncover the truth about a childhood trauma, the sudden death of their third sibling, from back in the 1950's.Two feuding adult sisters from a dysfunctional family decide to finally uncover the truth about a childhood trauma, the sudden death of their third sibling, from back in the 1950's.

  • Director
    • Jerry London
  • Writer
    • Scott Swanton
  • Stars
    • Delta Burke
    • Swoosie Kurtz
    • Shirley Knight
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    398
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jerry London
    • Writer
      • Scott Swanton
    • Stars
      • Delta Burke
      • Swoosie Kurtz
      • Shirley Knight
    • 10User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro

    • Photos1

    View Poster

    Top Cast39

    Delta Burke
    Delta Burke
    • Debra
    Swoosie Kurtz
    Swoosie Kurtz
    • Kay
    Shirley Knight
    Shirley Knight
    • Jolene Maggart
    Grace Zabriskie
    Grace Zabriskie
    • Francie Harper
    Lawrence Monoson
    Lawrence Monoson
    • Randy Goodson
    Casey Biggs
    Casey Biggs
    • Travis Colton
    Alexa PenaVega
    Alexa PenaVega
    • Young Kay
    • (as Alexa Vega)
    Jane E. Goold
      Bill McKinney
      Bill McKinney
      • Butch Maggart
      Steve Shearer
      Steve Shearer
      • Woody
      Morgana Shaw
      Morgana Shaw
      • Young Jolene
      David Denney
      • Timmy
      Melanie Haynes
      Melanie Haynes
      • Aunt Letty
      Madylin Sweeten
      Madylin Sweeten
      • Young Debra
      Allison Ritter
      • Carolyn
      Jessica Ritter
      • Carolyn
      Liz Piazza Kelley
      • Young Frankie
      James Hansen Prince
      James Hansen Prince
      • Earl
      • (as James Prince)
      • Director
        • Jerry London
      • Writer
        • Scott Swanton
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews10

      6.3398
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      Related interests

      Lee Norris and Ciara Moriarty in Zodiac (2007)
      True Crime
      James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
      Crime
      Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
      Drama

      Storyline

      Did you know

      • Trivia
        This movie is a true story about Carolyn McMorris who was murdered by her stepmother, Colleen Stubblefield, on December 5, 1955. She had two older sisters, Kay who was then 5-years old and Debra, then 3-years old. The children lived with their stepmother and biological father, Bull, in the Ace Motel in Lubbock, Texas at the time of the murder.
      • Quotes
        • Francie Harper: [Standing in a closet looking for something to wear] No, I'm not talk to them. I ain't having a thing to do with this.
        • [she goes back to the mirror table where Kay and Debra are standing and sits down]
        • Kay: Why not?
        • Francie Harper: Because it's over and done!
        • Kay: Francie, don't do this!
        • Francie Harper: I'm not doing nothing. It's in the Lord's hands now which is where it belongs. Why drag it out now?
        • Kay: You're afraid it's all gonna come out about you, ain't you?
        • Francie Harper: ME? I don't have nothing to be ashamed of! I did everything I could about this and you know it too! I even took you all to the D.A.'s office the day after the funeral and what happened? You both just sat there, too yellow to say a word.
        • Kay: We were kids! We were scared!
        • Francie Harper: Well, you can tell yourself that all you want to, but you can't turn back the clock. What's done is done.
        • Debra: What about after?
        • Francie Harper: After what?
        • Debra: After it was all over and Carolyn was in the ground? How could you take us back to Jolene's knowing what she done?
        • Francie Harper: Now, wait just a minute...
        • Debra: Were we that bad, Mama?
        • Francie Harper: It was not like that!
        • Debra: Then what was it? How could you take us back there year after year after we begged you not to?
        • Francie Harper: You know, I heard this over a million times, but I don't recall no such a thing. As I recalled, you LOVED Jolene. You still do. Giving her little cards and everything, calling her MOM!
        • Debra: You never gave a damn about us, didn't you?
        • Francie Harper: That's not true.
        • Debra: Then WHAT IS? Why can't you start telling the truth for once in your life so I can stop wasting my time on you? That you're gonna pretend to be a mother to me someday because that's all I really wanted.
        • [Kay looks at Debra in amazement]
        • Debra: And I wanted it so badly that I ended up clinging to the woman who killed my baby sister!
        • [Francie slams down a brush and looks away]
        • Debra: Come on, Kay, let's go.
        • [They leave, and then Francie looks up and in their direction. Kay and Debra walk out of the house and onto the front yard]
        • Kay: Whoa! Where did that come from?
        • Debra: It's been coming for a long time!
        • Francie Harper: [Coming out of the house] Wait! Will you just wait?
        • [she runs down the front walk towards the girls]
        • Francie Harper: Okay, all right, you made your point. I will go in and talk to these people if that's what you want. I'll even testify for you if it ever goes that far, but... there's just one thing we ought to talk about.
        • Kay: What's that?
        • Francie Harper: Well, I don't want to go in there looking like... poor white trash. I mean, I do have to make a good impression, you know.

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      Details

      • Release date
        • January 16, 1996 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • United States
      • Language
        • English
      • Also known as
        • En memoria de Carolyn
      • Filming locations
        • McKinney, Texas, USA
      • Production companies
        • Citadel Entertainment
        • The Kaufman Company
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      • Runtime
        • 1h 34m(94 min)
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Stereo
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.33 : 1

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