ShowBiz Ireland - Sean Penn follows Bono's Pledge

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24-08-01 news
Sean Penn follows Bono's Pledge...

Hollywood bad boy and Irish American Sean Penn last night followed in Bono's footsteps and spoke of his admiration for the anti-capitalist protesters in Seattle and Genoa and said he hoped there would one day be a revolution in America.

Penn, 41, said he believed the demonstrations would spawn a new generation of directors committed to making thought-provoking cinema.

He was speaking after arriving at the Edinburgh Film Festival to promote his latest movie The Pledge, which stars his wife Robin Wright Penn and Hollywood legend Jack Nicholson.

The UK premiere of the movie takes place tonight at the city's UGC cinema and Penn and his wife are due to attend the gala screening.

Speaking at a press conference in Edinburgh's Sheraton Hotel, the Californian actor-turned-director said he was dismayed by the political situation in his home country.

He said: "I don't know if people value the thought of revolution any more. I think it would be an enormously patriotic movement to invest in the possibility of revolution. There's a lot of stuff going on around the world and in the US as well, like the protests in Genoa and Seattle, and young people are putting themselves on the line. We're going to start seeing directors coming out of that group. I hope there are going to be people who care about things bigger than themselves."

Robin Wright Penn said the couple were also determined that their young son and daughter, who have joined them on their trip to Scotland, would be open-minded and embrace other cultures.

She said: "I don't think most Americans know what a revolution is. Looking at our kids growing up, that's the one area where we're going to be very strict with them. We want them to be aware and let other cultures feed into them instead of following a saccharin life."

Penn added: "I just want our children to have a broader interest and not have everything in entertainment or politics represent comfort."

The Pledge is the story of a middle-aged policeman, played by Nicholson, on the verge of retirement who vows to track down the killer of a seven-year-old girl. The all-star cast also features British actress Vanessa Redgrave.