Lost & Found

Independent films often involve edgy subjects that can make them inappropriate for young people. With Lost & Found, however, writer/director Joseph Itaya has delivered an indie that a whole family could watch together.

After breaking the law, teenage Andy Walton (Justin Kelly) is sent to live with a mysterious uncle his father had never told him about. His younger brother, who senses an opportunity for adventure, begs to go along. They arrive on a creepy island bearing their family name, where they learn that their grandfather was a renowned codebreaker who amassed considerable wealth but disappeared leaving no record of his fortune.

After uncovering clues left by the grandfather, the brothers embark on a treasure hunt under the nose of a developer who hopes to steal their family legacy. Along the way, they must overcome the developer, a spooky forest, early 20th century gadgets and their uncle's loss of hope.

You'll likely recognize only two of the cast members: Benjamin Stockham, who played the titular boy in NBC's About a Boy, portrays younger brother Mark Walton. Jason Patric (The Lost Boys) plays Uncle Trent, a functioning alcoholic who runs a bait shop and constructs ships in bottles. Patric is good, but Stockham provides the bursts of energy that keep the plot moving.

It's a beautiful picture, with glorious aerial shots of the Washington coast. During a post-screening Q&A at the Sedona International Film Festival, Itaya said he wanted to film the whole thing in the state but couldn't afford to do so. Instead, he shot in Canada.

Canada also gifted Itaya two last-minute replacement actors: Kelly, who had been on Canadian TV series DeGrassi: The Next Generation, and Celeste Desjardins, who plays Claire, the developer's daughter and Andy's romantic interest. Amazingly, Itaya said Desjardins had no acting experience, not even a school play. She is arrestingly beautiful, however, and manages to handle the moderate challenges of the part.

I saw the film with a friend in her 20s, and we agreed that Lost & Found – though somewhat predictable at times, particularly in regard to the treasure hunt – exceeded our expectations. The hunt will entertain younger viewers, while the family dynamics – including an original plot twist – should keep adults interested.

Lost & Found has an important message for young people – that fortune takes many forms other than money.

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Stu Robinson practices writing, editing, media relations and social media through his business, Phoenix-based Lightbulb Communications.

Lost and Found is a family adventure film. Andy Walton is a teenage delinquent who has been sent along with his younger brother to spend the summer on a remote island with Uncle Trent (Jason Patric.)

They know little of this uncle who seems to be down on his luck and drinks too much. Uncle Trent tells them that Walton Island is named after the family who were once wealthy but Trent's dad disappeared one day and left hidden treasure behind.

The island is being brought up by John Broman (Cary Elwes) who plans to turn it into a high class tourist resort rather than a small scale fishing village it is now.

The teenage brothers befriend Broman's daughter and embark on a treasure hunt to restore the family's lost fortune. They discover clues but the island is spooky and their seem to be other sinister forces getting in their way.

The movie is a moody low key family adventure film It is nothing to get too excited about. Elwes is the sinister rich guy who has motives wanting to take over the island quickly. Trent is just too downbeat putting messages in little ship bottles but is this some kind of catharsis for past mistakes?

I loved it. It gives you everything you want in an adventure film, plus good surprises. The main character is agonizingly true to life in behavior and thinking. The other characters are also so realistic that, for the first half of the film, it is tantalizingly hard to tell who is the villain. Minor characters add poignant touches. There are shades of "Blair Witch" in the camera work, which lends to the suspense and realism, and there are also beautiful scenic shots of nature. Since this movie won "Best Family Film" at the Bentonville Film Festival, you can confidently sit down in front of it with the kids. Yet the movie is scary and unpredictable. The exciting conclusion transcends the ordinary. Three cheers, five stars!

Remember the Goonies? How a greedy land developer was going to alter their hometown and how the kids find a fabled treasure and a history to save it? A similar story here, but with a very unique Grandfather who was a code breaker during World War 2. This Grandfather "Walton" owns a whole Island, but he disappears mysteriously and his wealth or "treasure" has been hidden somewhere on the island. A couple brothers, who are the grandkids of this man Walton, Andy Walton (Justin Kelly) and Mark Walton (Benjamin Stockham) are sent to the Island as a forced vacation from issues at home to "take a break" with their Uncle Trent Walton (Jason Patric). A fun adventure and a very interesting hunt for the entire family, well thought out riddles and plot/story, some very mild violence, nothing questionable, no nudity. A good clean fun adventure for everyone. The story keeps you interested and moves along quickly enough to not loose interest. Don't believe the bad reviews. A fun ride! Enjoy!

FILM: Lost and Found DIRECTOR: Joseph Itaya RATING: 2/10

It's hard to discern exactly who this film is intended for. On the surface it's an adventure story about two young brothers who search for their grandfather's hidden treasure on the family island. At the heart though, it's a family drama about two older brothers finding their way back to each other after life has ripped them apart. Trying to walk the line between both genres, this film does neither particularly well. The kids watching for the adventure storyline will find the plot forced, with all clues and elements conveniently and sloppily revealed at the right moment. If you make your child watch this, expect him to be bored in the first fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, the adults watching this for the family story (elderly, I'm assuming) will find that it never quite goes beyond melodrama, with given circumstances too absurd to ring true. Though it was nice to see young Benjamin Stockham continue to get work after his failed television show About A Boy, I'd still only recommend this film as Sunday afternoon viewing on TBS if you happen to be with a grandparent who's hard of hearing and gets offended by anything even remotely challenging.