Missing (1982)

When an idealistic American writer disappears during the Chilean coup d'état in September 1973, his wife and father try to find him.

Director:

Costa-Gavras

Writers:

Costa-Gavras (screenplay), Donald E. Stewart (screenplay) (as Donald Stewart)

Stars:

Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Mayron

Won 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Lemmon	...	Ed Horman
Sissy Spacek	...	Beth Horman
Melanie Mayron	...	Terry Simon
John Shea	...	Charles Horman
Charles Cioffi	...	Captain Ray Tower
David Clennon	...	Consul Phil Putnam
Richard Venture	...	U.S. Ambassador
Jerry Hardin	...	Colonel Sean Patrick
Richard Bradford	...	Andrew Babcock
Joe Regalbuto	...	Frank Teruggi
Keith Szarabajka	...	David Holloway
John Doolittle	...	Dave McGeary
Janice Rule	...	Kate Newman
Ward Costello	...	Congressman
Hansford Rowe	...	Senator

Storyline

In September1973, in Chile, the American journalist Charles Horman arrives in Valparaiso with his friend Terry Simon to meet his wife Beth and bring her back to New York with him. However, they are surprised by the military coup d'état sponsored by the US Government to replace President Salvador Allende and Charles is arrested by the military force. His father Ed Horman, a conservative businessman from New York, arrives in Chile to seek out his missing son with Beth. He goes to the American Consulate to meet the Consul that promises the best efforts to find Charles while the skeptical Beth does not trust on the word of the American authorities. The nationalism and confidence of Ed in his government changes when he finds the truth about what happened with his beloved son.

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Plot Keywords:

american | military | coup | chile | missing | 

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Taglines:

Charlie Horman thought that being an American would guarantee his safety. His family believed that being Americans would guarantee them the truth. They were all wrong.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

12 March 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Desaparecido

Filming Locations:

Gran Hotel de la Ciudad de Mexico, Calle 16 de Septiembre Zocale, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Box Office

Gross USA:

$14,000,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,986,793

Company Credits

Production Co:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some movie posters for the film featured a long blurb that read: "Charlie Horman thought that being an American would guarantee his safety. His family believed that being Americans would guarantee them the truth. They were all wrong".

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Goofs

Several late-70s AMC/VAM (Vehiculos Automotores Mexicanos S.A.) cars such as Hornets and Pacers appear throughout the movie, despite depicting events in 1973.

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Quotes

Ed Horman: This past week I've felt like, erm, my heart has been torn out of me.
Beth Horman: It's okay.
Ed Horman: I feel very guilty.
Beth Horman: Hey, Charlie always says guilt is like fear. It's given to us for survival, not destruction.
Ed Horman: Oh. Beth, for what it's worth, I think you are one of the most courageous people I have ever met.

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Connections

References Z (1969)

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Soundtracks

Eine kleine Nachtmusik
(uncredited)
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

Propulsive, Real-Life Political Thriller Shows Costa-Gavras and Lemmon at Their Peak

Accomplished Greek-French filmmaker Costa-Gavras has a compelling way of bringing the emotional resonance out of stories with overtly political themes. He hits the mail on the head with this searing indictment of American involvement in the 1973 military coup that ejected Allende from power in Chile. Facts are not discretely presented, even the country in which the story takes place is not disclosed (except for specific references to the cities of Santiago and Vina Del Mar). Yet, Costa-Gavras creates an atmosphere of palpable tension that doesn't let up in this 1982 film, and the unraveling mystery at the heart of the movie echoes the unsettling political situation surrounding the characters.

Adapted by Costa-Gavras and Donald Stewart from Thomas Hauser's non-fiction book documenting the true case, the plot focuses on American expatriate Charles Horman whose sudden disappearance in the days after the Pinochet coup brings together two familial adversaries, his wife Beth and his father Ed, who has flown in from New York. Charles and Beth had been leading a vagabond existence with his work in children's animation and their relatively passive support of Allende's reform measures. Charles' back story is revealed in carefully constructed flashback episodes that show him to be curious about the presence of U.S. military personnel in the area. Once he disappears, Ed and Beth seek help from the U.S. Consulate but face a seemingly insurmountable wall of bureaucracy. Frustrated, Ed, a highly conservative Christian Scientist, lashes out at Beth for what he considers her undesirable influence over his son. However, as they absorb the scope of the violence and the culpability of the U.S. government, they bond intractably toward their objective of finding Charles.

For once, Jack Lemmon, unafraid to convey his character's prejudices, is able to use his neurotically coiled energy in a suitable dramatic role as Ed. The result is a startlingly raw performance that ranks among his best. Sissy Spacek is terrific as Beth, though her character does not experience as big an arc of self-revelation. In the elliptical flashback role of Charles, John Shea provides solid support, as do Janice Rule as a political activist and a number of familiar TV faces - Melanie Mayron as friend Terry and David Clennon as U.S. consul Phil Putnam, both from "thirtysomething", and Joe Regalbuto, Frank from "Murphy Brown", playing another Frank, a possible victim of the coup. There are unfortunately no extras with the 2004 DVD.