Grade: B

Matt Damon and John Krasinski both wrote the original screenplay and star in Promised Land.  We first see Matt Damon and Frances McDormand as city slickers, hired by an oil company to come to a small town and basically buy out leases on the land so that the company can get its oil by “fracking.”  It looks like a good deal to the town that has been hit hard by the economy, but then Hal Holbrook, the local science teacher, raises some serious questions.  John Krasinski’s environmentalist comes in to rally the troops.  In the meantime, Matt falls for one of the cute young ladies in town, but given his background, he truly believes that he’s helping the town with this deal.  And then there’s a twist.  The ending is predictable, but how we get there is a refreshing surprise.