Search - The Missing [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Not For Children, Adult Language, Western Violence Movie Release: 2003 DVD Release: 02/24/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 17 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Total Copies: 67 Genres: Western, Revisionist Western See Also: The Missing [Fullscreen], The Missing, The Missing [Superbit], The Missing [Extended Cut]

Director Ron Howard turns to the Western genre in this tale of a father and daughter who are brought together under difficult circumstances. Samuel Jones (Tommy Lee Jones) is a man living in New Mexico in the 1880s. He had abandoned his family years before to live and travel with a band of Apaches, but his conscience has finally gotten the better of him and he's decided to return home. Jones, however, does not receive a warm welcome upon arrival -- his wife has died and his daughter Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchett), now grown and raising two children with her husband Brake (Aaron Eckhart), has no desire to see the man who left her mother to fend for herself. As Jones prepares to depart on a note of bitterness, a band of ruthless bandits, let by Army deserter Chidin (Eric Schweig), descends upon the homestead, murdering Brake and kidnapping his 15-year-old daughter Lily (Evan Rachel Wood). While Maggie feels no desire to forgive her father, she realizes he's her best hope to track down the criminals who took her child, and Jones and Maggie team up to find the bandits before they can disappear into Mexico. The Missing was based on the novel -The Last Ride by Thomas Eidson. Val Kilmer and Jenna Boyd highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Tommy Lee Jones - Samuel Jones
Cate Blanchett - Maggie Gilkeson
Eric Schweig - Chidin
Evan Rachel Wood - Lily Gilkeson
Jenna Boyd - Dot Gilkeson
Aaron Eckhart - Brake Baldwin

The Missing wasn't the critical or box-office success for Ron Howard that had been hoped, but Columbia TriStar decided to give it the full DVD treatment regardless. Presented in the original aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and anamorphic (there is a separate set severely cropped), the picture quality mirrors the themes that Howard was trying to convey with the story. Based on the character arc, the film moves from slight grain and a more muddy appearance early in the film to meticulous detail later. The image translates those changes almost perfectly. It can seem like an odd transition as the film moves from beginning to end, but it makes sense in the context of the subject. As for the 5.1 Dolby Digital sound, it too makes perfect sense, and matches the story wonderfully. Dialogue is entirely clear, as are the abundant sound effects, while the use of the surrounds is creative and at times very expressive. Sadly, a commentary track from Howard isn't offered, with the only supplements on the first disc the trailers for Hellboy, Spider-Man 2, The Missing, 13 Going on 30, Resident Evil 2, Something's Gotta Give, Big Fish, The Statement, Panic Room, The Devil's Backbone, and, last, but not least, The Mothman Prophecies. The second disc offers a very satisfying variety of supplements. Five featurettes, ranging from five to 30 minutes, take an in-depth look at the production of the film, including the casting, the music, and the use of actual Native American dialects. In addition to this are six more featurettes, called "Ron Howard On...," in which the director discusses his influences, working with John Wayne, conventions of the Western genre, and the Super-8 short films he made as a teen, which are shown here, and are quite entertaining in their own right. Next up are 11 deleted scenes, some more interesting than others, and an amusing section of outtakes. In addition, three alternate endings are available, though they don't vary too far from the final version. Strangely enough, these three sections are all shown 1.85:1, not matching the final theatrical ratio. To conclude this nice set, three generic photo galleries contain pictures of the cast, location, and the production. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide