The Promised Land, David vs. Goliath

The Gus Van Sant film, The Promised Land, is stocked with grade A stars:  Matt Damon, Marie DeWitt, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand and the indomitable, Hal Holbrook.  The movie pitches Steve (Matt Damon) & Sue (Frances McDormand) as commissaries for a major GLOBAL "natural gas" company against Dusty (John Kraskinski) an environmental advocate.  Mr. Van Sant films have always been hit or miss with me but never formulaic; until now.  It's the typical billion dollar profit driven corp. vs. an idealic, bucolic farming community, rich on land & heritage but low on dough.  Global is ready & all too willing to solve their financial woes.  Wait a minute; not so fast.  Of course, there are the down home folks that having been living & working their family farms for generations not quite convinced to take the money & run.  Shucks, just cause we're poor, benevolent folks doesn't mean we're all a bunch of local yokels.  Yates (Hal Holbrook) the h.s. science teacher, is a retired Boeing engineer who confronts Steve & Sue,  He warns his community of the vast destruction wrought from GLOBAL's drilling.  Besides, he asks Steve, who he deems a good man, "where would we all go?" Dusty riles most of the locals to oppose the evil & omnipotent company.  What is in the best interest of the town, the country and one's own moral compass?  The story is by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Dave Eggers (go figure.)   The only thing keeping this film from smelling like manure is the county fair blue ribbon cast.  Don't be snookered, pass on this unpromising movie.