Plot
A black police detective must solve a strange case of a kidnapped boy and deal with a big racial protest.
Release Year: 2006
Rating: 5.0/10 (9,840 voted)
Critic's Score: 43/100
Director:
Joe Roth
Stars: Julianne Moore, Samuel L. Jackson, Edie Falco
Storyline When her son disappears and is believed to be dead, a single mother blames an African-American man from the projects for the kidnapping, creating a racial controversy. An African-American detective and a white missing child researcher team up to investigate the case, which they discover may be more complicated than they expected.
Writers: Richard Price, Richard Price
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson
-
Lorenzo Council
Julianne Moore
-
Brenda Martin
Edie Falco
-
Karen Collucci
Ron Eldard
-
Danny Martin
William Forsythe
-
Boyle
Aunjanue Ellis
-
Felicia
Anthony Mackie
-
Billy Williams
LaTanya Richardson
-
Marie
(as LaTanya Richardson Jackson)
Clarke Peters
-
Reverend Longway
Peter Friedman
-
Lt. Gold
Domenick Lombardozzi
-
Leo Sullivan
Aasif Mandvi
-
Dr. Anil Chatterjee
Philip Bosco
-
Priest
Fly Williams III
-
Rafik
Portia
-
Doreen
/
Rafik's Sister
Opening Weekend: $6,707,111
(USA)
(19 February 2006)
(2361 Screens)
Gross: $12,512,886
(USA)
(12 March 2006)
Technical Specs
Runtime:|
Philippines:
(cut)
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The movie was inspired by the Susan Smith case in 1994, where she murdered her two sons and claimed they were unknowingly kidnapped by a carjacker.
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes:
The scenes at the Freedomland facility appear to be in late fall/winter - trees are bare, subjects are wearing heavy clothing. When Lorenzo interviews Brenda, he states on the tape recorder the date of the interview is May.
Quotes: Karen Collucci:
[talking to Brenda]
Just nod your head.
User Review
I wanted to like it, and I did
Rating: 7/10
I'll admit, I read the novel a few years ago and I was a big fan of it.
So I went into the theater already wanting to like the movie. I wasn't
as concerned with plot details as some other viewers apparently were.
Since I knew what was going to happen, I simply focused on reliving the
story, and seeing how the filmmakers interpreted it. It's such a dense
novel with so much going on, I think Richard Price is the only person
who could've adapted it and still kept the spirit of the original
material. Now, all that being said...was it a good movie? In my
opinion, yes it was. I felt empathy for all the characters (except
Brenda's brother, who I felt contempt for). I was surprised that I was
able to empathize with Brenda's character, but I credit Julianne Moore
for that. She gave a performance that was filled with pain, and
confusion, and fear, and all the emotions I would have imagined Brenda
would be going through. Samuel Jackson played Lorenzo just as I hoped
he would. Not over the top with a bunch of yelling and fist pounding.
But as a man who realizes all too well what can happen when a white
woman points the finger at a black man and yells "He did it!" The
biggest problem I have with the movie is the way that it's being
marketed. If I hadn't read the book, I would've never gone to see it
based on it's trailer. It looks like just another missing child
thriller. So I can understand why some viewers felt cheated when they
saw the movie and realized that it's much more complex than that. It's
about the politics of race, and how they can be manipulated. It's about
the uneasy truce that exists in some communities, and how quickly a
fuse can be lit to ignite tension. And most importantly, it's about
people making choices that they regret, and the aftermath of those
choices.
If you're looking for a missing child thriller, or a theatrical version
of a CSI episode, this probably isn't for you. If a tough examination
of race and class makes you uncomfortable, then don't bother with this
one. But if you want to challenge yourself as a viewer, and get inside
the minds of characters who are trying desperately to hold their worlds
together, then I think you'll get something out of this film.
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