The Missing (2003) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

58% Tomatometer 173 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings

When rancher and single mother of two Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchett) sees her teenage daughter, Lily (Evan Rachel Wood), kidnapped by Apache rebels, she reluctantly accepts the help of her estranged father, Samuel (Tommy Lee Jones), in tracking down the kidnappers. Along the way, the two must learn to reconcile the past and work together if they are going to have any hope of getting Lily back before she is taken over the border and forced to become a prostitute.

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The Missing

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Critics Consensus

An expertly acted and directed Western. But like other Ron Howard features, the movie is hardly subtle.

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Critics Reviews

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The Missing (2003) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Nell Minow Common Sense Media A disappointment; relentlessly bleak and brutal. Rated: 2/5 Dec 28, 2010 Full Review The Missing (2003) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Empire Magazine Rated: 3/5 Apr 1, 2006 Full Review The Missing (2003) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Jeannette Catsoulis Las Vegas Mercury 'Breathtakingly beautiful and menacingly primitive.' Rated: 3.5/5 Mar 23, 2005 Full Review The Missing (2003) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Murtada Elfadl Sundays with Cate Blanchett and Jones are matched well as two idiosyncratic people. There's a symbiosis to their performances as stubborn loners. The filmmaking is competent but never thrilling. Rated: C Jan 25, 2021 Full Review The Missing (2003) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Kevin Carr Fat Guys at the Movies a monotonous, dreary, wretched kitchen sink drama from post-Civil War New Mexico Rated: 1/5 Jan 12, 2016 Full Review The Missing (2003) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Joe Leydon The Moving Picture Show Ron Howard's vividly gritty and brutally arresting Western is a powerfully effective piece of work. Aug 1, 2014 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kyle M While John Ford’s “The Searchers” journeyed indigenous discrimination towards acceptance, Ron Howard seems to may have galloped across the mission’s narrative range with his own unpolished take over familial drama bordering similar circumstances, unflinchingly prolonging unsatisfactory with Jones’ decent embodiment beneath Blanchett’s reckoned caliber. (B-) Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/12/24 Full Review Test T I watched this film from 2003 on DVD recently. The cover displays a dense misty forest scene, but it's an american western. It's quite lengthy at just over 131 minutes, due mainly to the rather steady pace of the storytelling. I found that it started quite well, introducing the characters and their circumstances, but after that events develop which motivate a 'road trip' of sorts, and the pace started to drag. There were some dimly lit indoor and nightime scenes where it was difficult to see what was happening, but the outdoor daytime content benefited from some nice scenery. I found it difficult to relate to Tommy Lee Jones's 'Indian Cowboy' character because his performances in other films were a constant distraction. I think the main problem with this film is that it is trying to be a big western epic, which the simple story will not support. This is definitely not in the same league as 'Dances With Wolves' for example, but it tries to be. I also thought the film's themes were too dark and depressing. I know the the wild west was a rough place, but is a western like this one entertaining enough for a modern audience? I struggled to find anything to like about this story because it is so bleak and joyless. In summary, it's nothing special and I don't recommend it. Rated 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/05/24 Full Review Cathleen N Awesome authentic western with a good plot and outstanding acting. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/16/24 Full Review Wolfram J Die äußere Handlung einmal dahingestellt, erscheint mir der Film unausgereift und halbgar. Zweimal steuern die Kinder in die Katastrophe, einmal durch das Aufrichten des kleinen Mädchens mit 'blitzendem' Fernglas, dann durch das Geschrei der älteren Tochter, deren eigene Flucht zuvor schon durch den Lärm des Pistolenschusses einer anderen gescheitert ist. Fehlt den Kindern hier jedweder IQ? Bei der Begegnung der Protagonisten mit dem Soldatentrupp werden auch Indianerkinder in Ketten vorgeführt, ein Moment der Anklage, der nicht weiter ausgeführt wird, ebenso die Stellung des Sheriffs, der sich mit den Indianern verbündet hat und dessen Stern die Heldin abreißt. Die Geschichte des Vaters bleibt ebenso in Andeutungen stecken und was sollten die 'mystischen' Einlagen, die plötzlich bei der Frau eine Krankheit heraufbeschwörten??? Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/14/24 Full Review Andy H Intense, on location filming with a very traditional western plot. Its the wild wild west, just as you know it. But acting is superb, direction is tight, and everything and everyone gets where they need to. Just sit back and enjoy, its better than the other reviews and reviewers might lead you to believe. Its tight and intensive. You should see it. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/21/23 Full Review Will S If you like westerns, try it. If you like Tommy Lee Jones or Cate Blanchett, try it too. It's got a slight supernatural touch that might've bothered people looking for a conventional western, but I appreciated it. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Ron Howard Director Tommy Lee Jones Jones Cate Blanchett Maggie Evan Rachel Wood Lilly Jenna Boyd Dot Steve Reevis Two Stone
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The Missing

Producer Brian Grazer (l) and director Ron Howard on the set of Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing, a Columbia Pictures release. Evan Rachel Wood, plays Lilly, a young girl who is kidnapped by a vicious band of renegades in Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing, a Columbia Pictures release. A scene from Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing. - Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett play an estranged father and daughter in Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing, a Columbia Pictures release. Eric Schweig portrays Pesh-Chidin, a psychopathic killer with mystical powers, in Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing, a Columbia Pictures release. Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood and Jenna Boyd star in Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing, a Columbia Pictures release. Jay Tavare plays Kayitah in Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing, a Columbia Pictures release. Director/producer Ron Howard on the set of Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing, a Columbia Pictures release. Cate Blanchett and Jenna Boyd star in Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing, a Columbia Pictures release. Director/producer Ron Howard and Cate Blanchett on the set of Revolution Studios' suspense thriller The Missing, a Columbia Pictures release. View more photos

Synopsis When rancher and single mother of two Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchett) sees her teenage daughter, Lily (Evan Rachel Wood), kidnapped by Apache rebels, she reluctantly accepts the help of her estranged father, Samuel (Tommy Lee Jones), in tracking down the kidnappers. Along the way, the two must learn to reconcile the past and work together if they are going to have any hope of getting Lily back before she is taken over the border and forced to become a prostitute.

Director
Ron Howard

Producer
Ron Howard, Daniel Ostroff, Brian Grazer

Screenwriter
Ken Kaufman

Distributor
Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Production Co
Imagine Entertainment, Revolution Studios

Rating
R (Violence)

Genre
Western, Drama, Mystery & Thriller

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 26, 2003, Wide

Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 17, 2016

Box Office (Gross USA)
$26.9M

Runtime
2h 15m

Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS

Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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