The Missing (2003/I)

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers (WGA):

Thomas Eidson (novel)
Ken Kaufman (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 November 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

How far would you go, how much would you sacrifice to get back what you have lost?

Plot:

In 1885 New Mexico, a frontier medicine woman forms an uneasy alliance with her estranged father when her daughter is kidnapped by an Apache brujo.

Plot Keywords:

Medicine Man | Good Versus Evil | Gagged And Bound | Flaming Arrow | 1880s

Awards:

1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Samuel Jones / Chaa-duu-ba-its-iidan
Cate Blanchett	...	Magdalena Gilkeson
Evan Rachel Wood	...	Lilly Gilkeson
Jenna Boyd	...	Dot Gilkeson
Aaron Eckhart	...	Brake Baldwin
Val Kilmer	...	Lt. Jim Ducharme
Sergio Calderón	...	Emiliano
Eric Schweig	...	Pesh-Chidin / El Brujo
Steve Reevis	...	Two Stone
Jay Tavare	...	Kayitah
Simon Baker	...	Honesco, Kayitah's son
Ray McKinnon	...	Russell J. Wittick
Max Perlich	...	Isaac Edgerly
Ramon Frank	...	Grummond
Deryle J. Lujan	...	Naazhaao / 'Hunter'
Matthew E. Montoya	...	Tsi Beoyuao / 'Blowing Tree' (as Matthew Montoya)
Joe Saenz	...	Mba'tsu-Naabitin / 'Wolf Trail'
Gandi Shaw	...	Izhashe / 'Bird'
Rod Rondeaux	...	Hudlao / 'The One Who Laughs'
Juddson Keith Linn	...	Chauaiao / 'Evening Time' (as Juddson Linn)
Alvin William 'Dutch' Lunak	...	Aii Sionzilo / 'Wild Horse' (as Dutch Lunak)
Elisabeth Moss	...	Anne
Josephine Schwan	...	Sally
Alexandra Elich	...	Sally
Yolanda Nez	...	Lii Dahit'een - Dancing Horse
Heather Gulas	...	Captive Girl
Scarlett McAlister	...	Captive Girl
Aura Jensen-Curtis	...	Captive Girl
Shelby Kocurek	...	Captive Girl
Molly McAlister	...	Captive Girl
Angelina Torres	...	Esmerelda Nunez (as Angelina C. Torres)
Deborah Martinez	...	Maria Nunez
Clint Howard	...	Sheriff Purdy
Rance Howard	...	Telegraph Operator
Arron Shiver	...	Rancher
David Midthunder	...	Apache Scout
Paul Scallan	...	Stokley
Jerry King	...	Drunk Soldier
James Tarwater	...	Drunk Soldier (as Jim Tarwater)
David Garver	...	Barker
Clemente Spottedhorse	...	Captured Apache
Brian Brown	...	Mexican Slave Trader
Toby Holguin	...	Mexican Slave Trader
Eddie J. Fernandez	...	Mexican Slave Trader (as Eddie Fernandez)
Jason Rodriguez	...	Mexican Slave Trader
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Berto	...	Rangler Gang Boss
Richard Barela	...	Townsperson (uncredited)
Lewis Culbreth	...	Townsperson (uncredited)
Cliff Russell	...	Townsperson (uncredited)
Chris Talley	...	Townsperson (uncredited)

Directed by
Ron Howard

Writing credits (WGA)
Thomas Eidson		(novel "The Last Ride")
Ken Kaufman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Sue Berger	....	co-producer (as Sue Berger Ramin)
Steve Crystal	....	executive producer
Thomas Eidson	....	co-producer
Brian Grazer	....	producer
Todd Hallowell	....	executive producer
Ron Howard	....	producer
Kathleen McGill	....	associate producer
Daniel Ostroff	....	producer
Aldric La'Auli Porter	....	associate producer
Louisa Velis	....	associate producer

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
Salvatore Totino		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Daniel P. Hanley		(as Dan Hanley)
Mike Hill
Ron Vignone		(extended version)

Casting by
Jo Edna Boldin
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins

Art Direction by
Guy Barnes

Set Decoration by
Wendy Ozols-Barnes

Costume Design by
Julie Weiss

Makeup Department
Ozzy Alvarez	....	special makeup effects artist
Jeri Baker	....	hair stylist: Mr. Jones
John Blake	....	makeup artist: Mr. Jones
John Blake	....	makeup department head
Leslie Devlin	....	key makeup artist
Jamie Kelman	....	special makeup effects artist
Miia Kovero	....	key hair stylist
Ryan McDowell	....	prosthetic makeup technician
Emanuel Millar	....	hair stylist: Ms. Blanchett (as Emanuel Manny Millar)
Matthew W. Mungle	....	makeup designer and creator: Chidin
Bill Myer	....	makeup artist
Elaine L. Offers	....	makeup artist: Ms. Blanchett (as Elaine Offers)
Gary J. Perticone	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Eva Burkley	....	production supervisor: second unit
Kathleen McGill	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William M. Connor	....	first assistant director: second unit
Todd Hallowell	....	second unit director
Jeani Harris	....	additional second assistant director
David Hyman	....	second assistant director
Chemen Ochoa	....	second second assistant director
Kristen Ploucha	....	second assistant director: second unit
Aldric La'Auli Porter	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Bradley Barnes	....	on-set dresser
Maurice Burns	....	assistant art director
John C. Cameron	....	props
Jason Davis	....	property master: second unit
Joel Goodell	....	set dresser
Caylen Johnson	....	property maker
Sara M. Lewis	....	art department assistant
Johnny Long	....	lead greens
Ben Lowney	....	assistant property master
P. Allen McDougal III	....	set dresser
Amy Morrison	....	buyer
James F. Oberlander	....	set designer
Chris Painter	....	props
Gary Petersen	....	propmaker
Upton Shipley	....	painter
Peter Tosti Stephenson	....	set dresser
Alan Swain	....	set dresser
Stan Torres	....	greensman
Keith Walters	....	property master
Christopher Windisch	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Andrew Adams	....	production sound mixer: second unit
David Barnaby	....	foley editor
Stan Bochner	....	dialogue co-editor
Travis Call	....	sound recordist
Bayard Carey	....	production sound mixer
Louis Cerborino	....	sound editor
Bob Chefalas	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Anthony J. Ciccolini III	....	supervising sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Frank Fleming	....	sound recordist
Sean Garnhart	....	sound editor
Eytan Mirsky	....	sound editor
Branka Mrkic	....	dialogue editor
Angela Organ	....	assistant adr editor
Daniel Pagan	....	sound effects editor
Lynn Sable	....	assistant sound editor
David Schneider	....	boom operator
David A. Smith	....	boom operator
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Lieven Van Hulle	....	sound utility
Steven Visscher	....	supervising foley editor
Tony Volante	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Deborah Wallach	....	supervising adr editor
David Warzynski	....	foley assistant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ken Gorrell	....	gang boss
Scott Hastings	....	special effects technician
Joel Hobbie	....	special effects technician
Geoffrey C. Martin	....	special effects technician
James L. Roberts	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Victor Aguirre	....	facilities production assistant: Digital Domain
Bron Barry	....	visual effects production assistant
Nancy Bernstein	....	visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain
Alette Boyce	....	digital compositor
Steve Caldwell	....	digital compositor
Craig Cannon	....	scanning and recording operator: Digital Domain
Benjamin Cinelli	....	senior character animator
Dan Cobbett	....	digital compositor
Chad E. Collier	....	scanning and recording operator: Digital Domain
Jason Doss	....	3D integration lead: Digital Domain
Jamieson Fry	....	digital artist: Digital Domain
Chris Gelles	....	visual effects producer: & Company
R.J. Harbour	....	digital compositor
Brad Herman	....	digital artist: Digital Domain
Timothy Hoffman	....	digital artist
Shaina Holmes	....	digital compositor
Joel Hynek	....	visual effects supervisor
Todd Isroelit	....	visual effects producer: Digital Domain
David Isyomin	....	visual effects supervisor: & Company
Brad Kalinoski	....	digital compositor
John Karner	....	digital artist
Patrick Keenan	....	digital compositor: Pacific Title Digital
Markus Kurtz	....	CG supervisor: Digital Domain
Julian Levi	....	visual effects producer
Lori C. Miller	....	title design
Heather J. Morrison	....	visual effects editor: Digital Domain
Colleen Murphy	....	digital production coordinator
Adam Osterfeld	....	digital artist: & Company
Patrick Perez	....	digital artist
Brian Peyatt	....	digital production manager
Darren Poe	....	compositing supervisor
Kelly Port	....	plate supervisor
Laurie Powers	....	digital art director
Chad Roen	....	digital artist
Todd Sarsfield	....	digital color grader
Tess Spaulding	....	system administrator
Bryan Taylor	....	visual effects artist
Scott Tessier	....	digital artist: Digital Domain
Shin-Yee Yau	....	digital artist
Todd Daugherty	....	senior systems engineer (uncredited)
Jason Hughes	....	facilities production assistant: Digital Domain (uncredited)
Thomas Mathai	....	data manager (uncredited)
Brian Openshaw	....	render coordinator (uncredited)

Stunts
Julie Adair	....	stunt performer
Rio Alexander	....	stunt performer
Tony Lee Boggs	....	stunt performer (as Tony Boggs)
Samantha Brainard	....	stunt performer
Mary Davenport	....	stunt performer
Robert Harman	....	stunt performer
Ann Scott	....	stunt performer
Walter Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Julie Adair	....	stunt double: Jenna Boyd (uncredited)
Brian Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie J. Fernandez	....	stunts (uncredited)
Juddson Keith Linn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Deryle J. Lujan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rod Rondeaux	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wesley Scott	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dominic Aluisi	....	assistant camera
Michael Anderson	....	second key grip
Jeff Andrus	....	rigging grip
Will Arnot	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Will Arnot	....	steadicam operator
Liza Bambenek	....	assistant camera
Brian Bartolini	....	electrician: second unit
Theodore Y. Bott	....	electrician
Theodore Y. Bott	....	lamp operator
Dante Cardone	....	lighting programmer
David Cummings	....	grip
Michael S. Endler	....	assistant camera: second unit
Peter Geraghty	....	assistant camera
Russell Griffith	....	electrician: second unit
Bruce Hamme	....	dolly grip
Hank Herrera	....	grip
Michael Herron	....	video assist operator
Leonard E. Hoffman	....	rigging electrician
Robert Jason	....	chief lighting technician
Robert Johnston	....	grip
David Katz	....	digital video assist operator
Steve Koster	....	camera operator: SpaceCam
Jordan Lapsansky	....	best boy electric
Bill-Brady Majors	....	best boy grip
Stephen Mullen	....	rigging gaffer
Jeff Murrell	....	gaffer: second unit
David Jaxx Nagro	....	rigging grip
Ray Ortega	....	electrician
Ian Pauly	....	video assist operator
Keith Peterman	....	director of photography: second unit
Steve Reinhardt	....	assistant chief lighting technician: second unit
Alejandro Snodgrass	....	grip
Peter Weidenfeller	....	grip
Corey Weintraub	....	camera production assistant
Chuck Whelan	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera, second unit

Casting Department
Michelle Lewitt	....	casting associate
Amaris Meyer	....	casting assistant (uncredited)
Jocelyn E. Thomas	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marsha Barton	....	head seamstress
Laurie Hudson	....	key set costumer
Daniela Moore	....	costumer: Ms. Blanchett
Nina Risolio	....	costumer: Mr. Jones (as Ninalou Risolio)
Cathy Smith	....	specialty costumes

Editorial Department
Glenn Allen	....	assistant editor
Guy Barresi	....	assistant editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Tom Elkins	....	apprentice editor
Nathan R. Fitzgerald	....	digital intermediate editor
Richard Friedlander	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Ramiro Belgardt	....	music editor
Bob Bornstein	....	music preparation
Stephen Coleman	....	music librarian
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Michael Fisher	....	musician: ethnic percussion
Nancy Fogarty	....	assistant music editor
Jim Henrikson	....	supervising music editor
Randy Kerber	....	orchestrator
Brian Kilgore	....	musician: ethnic percussion
J.A.C. Redford	....	orchestrator
Justin Reeve	....	music coordinator
Simon Rhodes	....	music scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Patrick A. Reynolds Jr.	....	driver
Gary Shephard	....	transportation coordinator
Larry Shephard	....	transportation coordinator
Kenny Youngblood	....	driver captain

Other crew
Aleah Ames	....	production assistant
Jeff Andrus	....	diver
Michelle Brattson	....	assistant production coordinator
Michelle Brattson	....	production coordinator: second unit
R.J. Brodkin	....	morse code specialist
Judith M. Brown	....	studio teacher
Eva Burkley	....	assistant: Mr. Hallowell
Nathaniel Campbell	....	production assistant
David Carrico	....	re-enactor coordinator
David Carrico	....	re-enactor
Tim Carroll	....	livestock coordinator
Celli Crawford	....	production assistant
J.J. Dalton	....	production assistant
Tom Dames	....	assistant accountant
Michael Dellheim	....	location manager
Jim Dunlap	....	assistant accountant
Gregg Edler	....	production coordinator
Douglas Elsass	....	production assistant
Luke Fitch	....	set security
Sherry Gallarneau	....	script supervisor
Craig Grossmueller	....	second unit assistant
Ben Hammock	....	on-set production assistant
Jai James	....	production assistant
Dawn Jones	....	assistant: Mr. Jones
Randy Kerber	....	synthesizer programmer
Stevie Lazo	....	production accountant
Alex Leimone	....	production assistant
David Manzanares	....	location liaison
Amy Marsh	....	production assistant
Benn Martenson	....	assistant: Mr. Howard
John Nasraway	....	production assistant
Haley Rae Norris	....	cast production assistant
Kathie E. Norris	....	accounting clerk
Richard G. Orozco	....	office production assistant: additional photography
Liz Probst	....	payroll accountant
Miguel Raya	....	assistant: Mr. Grazer
Elizabeth Rinella	....	production assistant
Dr. Scott Rushforth	....	consultant: Apache
Jimmy Ray Sorrells	....	second assistant accountant
Mollie Stallman	....	production assistant
Lucas Stein	....	production assistant
Kathleen Switzer	....	production secretary
Ian Underwood	....	synthesizer programmer
Mindy Weissman	....	travel coordinator
Gary 'Little G' Williams	....	assistant: Mr. Howard (as Gary Williams)
Danlee Winegar	....	assistant: Ms. Blanchett (as Danlee A. Winegar)
Joseph Bearman	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Aimie Olson	....	medic (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Revolution Studios
• Imagine Entertainment
• Daniel Ostroff Productions (in association with)

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2003) (worldwide) (all media)
• Columbia Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (video)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Italia (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Digital Domain (special visual effects and digital animation)
• Pacific Title (visual effects)
• & Company (visual effects)
• Custom Film Effects (visual effects)

Other Companies

• ARRI  camera equipment provided by
• Casting Company, The  casting
• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• EFilm  digital intermediate
• Pacific Title  titles
• Sony Classical  soundtrack published by
• Sony Music Soundtrax  soundtrack published by
• Todd-AO Studios  sound post-production

Also Known As:

The Last Ride (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

137 min | 154 min (extended version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Malaysia:U (cut) | Malaysia:18SG (uncut) | South Korea:15 | Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 (certificate 96827/K) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40119)

Filming Locations:

New Mexico, USA

Company:

Revolution Studios

Trivia:

Tommy Lee Jones and Eric Schweig learned some Chiricahua Apache for this film. Their instructors were two of the last three remaining fluent speakers.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The pack horse wears a brass-buckled English leather halter (modern type of halter) throughout the movie.

Quotes:

Maggie: Why didn't you stay?
Samuel: [long pause] There's an Apache story about a man that woke up one morning and saw a hawk on the wind. Walked outside and never returned. After he died he met his wife in the spirit world. She asked him why he never came home, he said "Well, the hawk kept flying".
[pause]
Samuel: There's always the next something, Maggie. And that will take a man away.

Movie Connections:

Edited into New Frontiers: Making 'The Missing' (2004) (V)

A Tight, Suspenseful Western

"The Missing", starring Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones, is one of those movies that will come and go without getting noticed by audiences let alone any of the award programs. That's a shame because it's a tightly plotted film with interesting, sympathetic characters in a Western setting, but minus most of the tired Western genre devices.

In "The Missing", Cate Blanchett plays Maggie Gilkeson, a tough, frontier doctor / rancher with two young daughters (played by Evan Rachel Wood and Jenna Boyd), and a farmhand / love interest (Aaron Eckhart) named Brake, who also acts as her family's dedicated protector.

Unexpectedly, her father (Tommy Lee Jones) comes back into her life after abandoning his family years before to live with the Indians. His attempts to make amends for his past mistakes are rebuffed until rogue Indians attack Gilkeson's family and kidnap one of her daughters. Reluctantly, she asks her father to use his hunting & tracking skills to follow the Indians and recover her daughter.

The story in "The Missing" works along two tracks. While following and clashing with the rogue Indians provides ample suspense, action, and peril, the emotional drama between Gilkeson and her father keeps the movie interesting, dynamic, and makes us care about these peoples. For a Western, the film lacks all of the cardboard cutout characters. There are no gunslingers (in the tradition of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti Westerns) in "The Missing". The characters are flawed and emotionally vulnerable in their own believable, endearing way.

As a film, "The Missing" also provides a rare, balanced view of Native Americans during the mid 19th century. They are portrayed as neither doe-eyed victims (as in "Dances With Wolves"), nor are they mindless savages (as in almost any John Wayne Western). I will note that Chidin (Eric Schweig), the primary "bad guy" Indian, seems to go a little over the top at times, but this is forgivable given the film's many other strengths.

Suffice it to say that all of the acting is solid. We probably won't see any 'best actor' or 'best actress' nominations, but you never do with Westerns. Blanchett continues to expand her repertoire ranging from eccentric British Queen ("Elizabeth") to destructive bar trash ("Shipping News") with this role. Meanwhile, Tommy Lee Jones continues to be typecast as "the guy who hunts people" which started years ago with "The Fugitive" and hasn't varied much since.

In the end, one of the things I liked best about "The Missing" is the genuine danger for all of the major characters. The film establishes early on that bad things can and will happen to the characters we like the most. As a result, it's impossible to guess who will make it to the end of the story and that means you have real suspense (an increasingly rare occurrence in suspense films).

So, go see "The Missing" while everyone else is piling into the better-marketed blockbusters. You know you'll get both a good seat and a good movie without a lot of fuss.