Product Description

One morning, six-year-old Alex Selky got dressed, waved goodbye to his mother and set off for school. Somewhere along the short two-block walk, he disappeared. Now for his mom Susan (Oscar®-nominee Kate Nelligan of THE PRINCE OF TIDES - 1992 in a performance The Los Angeles Times hails as "superb"), life becomes a sudden nightmare of police and reporters, panic and suspicion, despair and fear. But as the hours become days and months, can Susan convince her friends, her estranged ex-husband (David Dukes), the media, and the overworked detective in charge of the case (Oscar®-nominee Judd Hirsch of ORDINARY PEOPLE - 1981, and A BEAUTIFUL MIND) that a mother’s hope must somehow survive? Stockard Channing of THE WEST WING co-stars in this stunning drama about a woman who refuses to give up her fight to find the truth – no matter how heartbreaking – behind how her only child could vanish WITHOUT A TRACE.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53637 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-03-22
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 121 minutes

Amazon.com
This is every parent's nightmare: Your kid goes off to school one morning--and never comes back. Based on the case of young New Yorker Etan Patz, who disappeared in the early 1980s, this film casts Kate Nelligan as the distraught mother who lashes out at the police (in the person of a relentless detective played by Judd Hirsch), who make her and her husband suspects, even as she hounds them to find her child and drives away her husband (David Dukes) and friends (including Stockard Channing) with her intensity and single-mindedness. The first film by producer Stanley Jaffe, all of the goodwill he earns two-thirds of the way through is squandered on a Hollywood ending that doesn't square with the real case: Etan Patz was never found. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Loved it - But where is the DVD????
I first saw this movie back in the 80's and after all this time it doesn't lose it's appeal. The characters are very believable, and well acted. Stockard Channing gives a great performance as Susan's (Kate Nelligan) best friend. Many of the reviewer's state that this movie is a tear jerker, and it is! Even if you just watch the last ten minutes and nothing else you will need a full box of Kleenex! My only complaint is that it is not out on DVD yet, but this film is SO good that it's worth watching/owning on VHS - and that's comming from someone who won't buy anything on VHS anymore!!

Excellent film!
This is an excellent film with a wonderful performance by Kate Nelligan as a resolute and determined mother who's son is missing, without a trace. Judd Hirsch stars as the congenial detective investigating the case. A real tearjerker at times with a great ending, at least when the detective discovers the truth about young Alex' disappearance. The final few minutes are a bit unbelievable and contrived so just ignore about 2 minutes towards the end and just enjoy! This movie is worthy of anyones collection.

Wonderful Movie
My husband and I caught this on cable the other night unfortuantely he had to leave for work so he wants to know how it ends.

When I first saw this movie I was about 12. I'm not sure why it effected me so. When I saw it a few nights ago I caught that the parents had been separated for only 3 months. I was thinking it had been a long time ago. The movie just drips with loneliness. The mother waking up in the bed by herself. Even though the son & mother have breakfast together you can't help but feel the loneliness.

Even though I cry everytime I see this movie I love it. I am also struck by the music. My husband laughed when the mother was practicing the piano. He said "no one plays like that." The mother was shown learning a new song note by note and as time went on she perfected it and played it beautifully.

This is a must see. I find myself searching for all of the movies I loved as a child and to my surprise other people are too. It's great when you can purchase a movie that you loved long ago.