Themes: Totalitarian States, Americans Abroad, Political Corruption
Main Cast: Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Mayron, John Shea, Charles Cioffi
Release Year: 1982
Country: US
Run Time: 122 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Costa-Gavras's tense political drama opens in an unspecified South American country (though clearly intended to be Chile) in the throes of a military coup. American activist Charles Horman (John Shea), who has been a thorn in the side of the country's military ever since his arrival, suddenly disappears. In trying to find out what has happened, his wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) is stonewalled, not only by the ruling junta but by the American consulate. His father, staunchly patriotic Ed Horman (Jack Lemmon), joins Beth in her search. Ed and his daughter-in-law have never seen eye to eye politically, and he refuses to entertain the notion that his son's disappearance might be part of a larger conspiracy or cover-up. But as the days grow into weeks, Ed comes to the shattering conclusion that he and his family have been betrayed by the American government, on behalf of the "friendly" South American dictator who holds his people in a grip of iron. Adapted by Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart from a book by Thomas Hauser, Missing was inspired by the true story of the late Charles Horman. In spite of (or perhaps because of) condemnation from certain high-ranking officials in the Reagan administration, the film went on to win an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The Greek director Constantin Costa-Gavras is famous for political thrillers such as Z. His films that followed Z, most notably State of Seige, were also crafty and powerful denunciations of entrenched corruption in European powers. Missing was his first American film. Based on the true story of Charles Horman as told in the book by Thomas Hauser, Missing is both an indictment of government oppression and a tense, stirring look at the generation gap of the 1960s and 1970s. Horman was a writer who disappeared in an American-backed Chilean coup. In the film, the country is an unnamed Latin American nation, but there is no mistaking the script's scathing attack on the United States government and its accomplices. The film focuses on the struggles of Horman's hippie wife (Sissy Spacek) and strict conservative father (Jack Lemmon) to find him and gain his release. Costa-Gavras has no use for the maudlin sentiment that normally accompanies such generational conflicts in movies; Lemmon and Spacek forge their unlikely alliance under fire. Both give superb performances, with Lemmon showing the dramatic talent that had long been neglected for comic roles. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
David Clennon - Consul Phil Putnam; Richard Venture - U.S. Ambassador; Jerry Hardin - Col. Sean Patrick; Richard Bradford - Carter Babcock; Joe Regalbuto - Frank Teruggi; Keith Szarabajka - David Holloway; John Doolittle - David McGeary; Janice Rule - Kate Newman; Ward Costello - Congressman; Hansford Rowe - Senator; Tina Romero - Maria; Jacqueline Evans - Woman (Ford Foundation); John Fenton - Carlos; Jaime Garza - Young Man at Stadium; Robert Hitt - Peter Chernin; Martin Lasalle - Paris; Jorge Russek - Espinoza; Gerardo Vigil - Sexy Soldier; Terry Nelson - Col. Clay; Wallis Nicita; Linda Spheeris - Woman (State Department); Joe Tompkins - Marine Officer; Richard Whiting - Statesman; Felix Gonzalez - Rojas
Credit
Lucero Isaac - Art Director, Agustin Ytuarte - Art Director, Terry Nelson - Associate Producer, Joe Tompkins - Costume Designer, Elie Cohn - First Assistant Director, Costa-Gavras - Director, Françoise Bonnot - Editor, Peter Guber - Executive Producer, Jon Peters - Executive Producer, Bette Iverson - Hair Styles, Vangelis - Composer (Music Score), Peter Jamison - Production Designer, Ricardo Aronovich - Cinematographer, Edward Lewis - Producer, Mildred Lewis - Producer, Linda Spheeris - Set Designer, Albert J. Whitlock - Special Effects, Daniel Brisseau - Sound/Sound Designer, José Garcia - Sound/Sound Designer, Costa-Gavras - Screenwriter, John Nichols - Screenwriter, Donald E. Stewart - Screenwriter, Thomas Hauser - Book Author
The film was banned in Chile during Pinochet's regime; ironically, the nation is not mentioned by name in the film (although the Chilean cities of Viña del Mar and Santiago are).[1] Both the film and Thomas Hauser's book The Execution of Charles Horman were removed from the market, following a lawsuit filed against Costa-Gavras and Universal's parent company MCA by former Ambassador Nathaniel Davis, and two others. A lawsuit against Hauser himself was dismissed because the statute of limitations had passed. Davis and his compatriots lost the lawsuit. After the lawsuit, the film was again released by Universal in 2006.
The film opens with Costa-Gavras' statement that the events of the film are true, and ends with a disclaimer from the State Department, denying the events in the film happened. Set largely during the days and weeks following Horman's disappearance, the film depicts his father and wife searching in vain to determine his fate. The film is based on a book first published under the title The Execution of Charles Horman: An American Sacrifice (1978) by Thomas Hauser (later republished under the title Missing in 1982). The score is by the Greek electronic composer Vangelis.
Production
The movie's piano theme has been used extensively in commercials, but an official release of the film's soundtrack has not yet occurred. The main theme appeared first on Vangelis' 1989 album "Themes." A bootleg release of the soundtrack exists. A special edition DVD was released by The Criterion Collection in October 2008.
