Le chemin de l'espoir

I caught Point Last Seen on USA one morning and, having little else to do, decided to watch the movie. Admittedly a sucker for drama (as well as the fine performances from Linda Hamilton), I was immediately intrigued.

The story centers around Rachel Harrison (Hamilton), a tracker searching for a missing 9 year old girl lost in the desert. We soon find out there is more to the story...much more. Rachel's own children are lost - kidnapped by her abusive ex-husband, Kevin (Kilner), whose only goal in life seems to be tormenting his ex-wife and their children.

We follow Rachel as she tracks down the missing girl, but also as she struggles with her past and her present. It isn't long before we realize that after years of abuse, Rachel finally had the courage to leave with her children. Unfortunately, Kevin eventually wins out and gains custody of their kids. It is a long and painfully emotional battle for Rachel to finally get her kids...only to have him steal them from her.

Honestly, this little movie is quite amazing. Although not an action/thriller type movie, it has its moments of keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering if everything...and everyone...will be ok. Linda Hamilton, as always, does an exceptional job playing Rachel. Her voice overs give us much insight into the character she plays and the emotional beatings she, and others, put her through. Kilner is menacing as the ex-husband and plays the role all too brilliantly.

The only real drawback were the flashback scenes. Although they gave much information into the history of Rachel, the person who played the young Rachel looked nothing like her (while Kevin looks the very same). This detracted from the movie a bit, but not enough to make it unworthy of a good review.

If you can find this one, and enjoy drama (particularly family dramas), then check it out. It's worth it for a Sunday afternoon.

Linda Hamilton is convincing as a search and rescue tracker searching the desert for a lost little girl. While the dialogue in many instances of the film left something to be desired, Hamilton's voice-over work when revealing the character's inner feelings and motivation was exceptional. In a particularly well-acted scene near the end of the film, Hamilton brings a heartfelt realism and poignancy that every mother can understand.

Kevin Kilner brilliantly played the violent ex-husband and kidnapping father that you love to hate. Kilner is usually a very pleasant presence on screen, which is what makes this evil performance so impressive.

Way off-the-mark were the flashbacks scenes meant to show the characters early in their marriage. While the premise was a good one, in order to help viewers understand the relationship and its origins, Hamilton's character was played by a young actress who looked nothing like Hamilton while Kilner remained in his character's shoes, looking not the least bit younger.

I watched this purely because Linda Hamilton was in it, and the moment I found out it was based on a true story I knew it would suck. The entire movie follows Hamilton, she is in every scene and without her presence the whole thing would suck. Not that it sucks already. There was no excitement, no adrenaline rushes - it was just bad.

The young good looking fellow that plays "Skip the Rookie", I feel steals the scene he is in with Linda Hamilton. I thought the movie was very good, the down side was that "Skip" was not in any other scenes in the movie, nor is he credited. If anyone knows this guys name or if he has done any other work, please post it. It's young actors like "Skip" that make TV movies not just good but really, really, good!! I was struck that such a young and untested "rookie" could make such a "from the heart" comment to Rachel and that she seemed to understand his dislike for his brother, and that he truly would have done anything to help Rachel find this child or her own children..."Skips" performance really tugs at your heart!

I have seen this film several times on Channel 5 in the UK in the last few years, and have found myself stumbling across it again today. It reminded me just how enjoyable (if you can use that word in this instance) the film is to watch. It's moments focussing on the different agonies of Linda Hamilton's character lead to peaks and troughs in the flow of the movie - making it a roller coaster of a film that isn't your typical.

Sure it has it's weaknesses-it is prone to it's corny moments, but I find that this adds to the enjoyment of this particular film. The voice-overs by Linda Hamilton also have the potential to irritate but I find them quite soothing/calming and they definitely add something to understanding her character. Maybe it is the accent!