Sin rastro alguno

From screenwriter and original novelist Beth Gutcheon(novel entitled "Still Missing")comes "Without a Trace", which tells the story of a little six year old boy who leaves for school one morning and then completely disappears.

The film starts slowly but picks up the tension as it moves along. Producer and one-time director Stanley R. Jaffe tries to use quiet moments early in the film; but for me they did not work. Later, as the movie gets going, it becomes moving and thought provoking. A clever and touching finale, along with solid performances from the under-rated Kate Nelligan, the magnificent Judd Hirsch and David Dukes, make the film worthwhile.

Sunday, February 10, 1991 - Video

WITHOUT A TRACE (1983) *** Kate Nelligan, Judd Hirsch, David Dukes, Stockard Channing, Daniel Bryan Corkill. Engrossing account of a small boy's disappearance and the horrors of his mother's unrelenting display of determinism in finding him dead or alive. Nelligan is exceptional running the gamut of emotions in this manipulative drama as is Hirsch as the dogged police detective equally disturbed by the crime. Based on Beth Gutcheon's book "Still Missing" (and adapted for the screen by her) and eerily resembling the NYC-based Etan Patz story.

I won't go into the specifics of the movie as many other here have already done that. To those that were wondering about the DVD - It is out on DVD now. I think it came out in March 2005. I bought it as soon as it became available.

Another thing. This movie is widely known as being based on real events. It may or may not be but we know it is based on a novel by Beth Gutcheon called "Still Missing". Whether that novel is based on a actual event I can't say for sure.

There was one comment here by someone who said the movie was no good. I don't know what movie she was watching as it sure wasn't this one. She said the houseboy cut himself shaving or something to that affect. Not true. This tells me she didn't watch the movie very closely.

To end this I will just say 'Without A Trace' is one of my favorite movies of all time. Top 10? Maybe not but it is up there. Great, I mean really great acting by Kate Nelligan and Judd Hirsch. David Dukes and Stockard Channing really flex their acting muscles here as well.

I can't believe that a movie could cause such an emotional upheaval in my body. I cried because the character development between the boy and his mother was very good. Judd Hirsch did a great job as the detective willing to go out on a limb for the mother. This was a good movie back in 1983 and still a good video to watch.

One of the best lines as Kate Nelligan portrays Susan Selky, a professor in NYC whose son has been abducted, and possibly murdered.

Nelligan is outstanding as a frustrated and angry mother whose son one day simply disappears after she sees him off on the school bus.

There are a few surprises here. Judd Hirsch is very good as Detective Minetti, although the story does go off tangent a bit with his family life. David Dukes portrays her estranged husband, who is initially suspected of abducting his own son.

Stockard Channing also has a small part as Selky's friend. When she attempts to talk Susan into the platitude : ..."picking up your bootstraps and move on"..., Susan (Nelligan) becomes enraged, telling her she cannot have a clue as to how this feels. A very powerful scene, and relevant to anyone who has experienced a horrible loss, and doesn't know how to cope.

Overall this is a good film with a few tangents, but well worth a view. 8/10.