This film draws you in with characters and events like any good crime mystery novel would. The cast are excellent in their portrayals. If you don't know the story it's based on you'll probably figure it out soon on, or maybe see something of the dreaded red herring. Just watch it and enjoy storytelling that doesn't need SFX let alone CGI.

What a meh of a movie! Although it's good for a good sob. Kate Nelligan maintains a single expression throughout: pursed-lipped, blanked-faced concern. A highlight is a climactic speech given by Stockard Channing as she sports an 80s shag perm so frizzy she looks to have just been electrocuted, an effect belied by the fact that she spends the whole emotional scene calmly stirring her finger in a bottle of Tab. The film ultimately struck home for me, however, because all the appliances in the film were vintage Reagan era and exactly the same I had at home as a kid, down to the analog clock on the oven and the absence of a microwave. All and all a dull, yet somehow still engrossingly forgettable film that jumped the early wave of post-Etan Patz/Steve Stayner kidnapping hysteria!

I haven't seen this movie for years, but I think about it whenever I hear of a news story where a child goes missing.If I live to be 100, I will never forget the final scene of this movie *** don't read any further if you intend to see it *** Judd Hirsch had located the kid after years of detective work, and was bringing him home (un-known to his mother)in his squad car. As I recall, he had the lights and siren moving (I might be wrong on this point) as he believed that getting this child back in the arms of his mom was that important (it was).The mother was walking down the street with a bag of groceries, going about her daily life without her son. As she approached her flat, a police car screeched to a stop out front. Wondering what the commotion was about, she looked down the street to see her little boy emerge from the driver's seat of the police cruiser. It took a moment for it all to register, but when she realized that the kid was her long lost child, she threw the sack of groceries on the ground (the groceries scattered everywhere) and ran as fast as she could to hug her child, grabbing him in an embrace that threatened to squeeze the air out of him.It was one of the most powerful, riveting, happy and joyous movie endings I have ever seen, and I cried like a baby during that final scene. To this day, that movie still brings tears to my eyes. I wish all child abduction cases would end like this.

I have to agree with an earlier comment; where is the DVD for this movie??? I for one would certainly purchase the DVD, and actually maybe a couple for keepsake. I came onto this site at 4:45 am to find out how I could purchase this movie again. Let me just advise you that I noticed this movie came on about 1:30am and even having to be at work by 8am this morning I still stayed awake to watch this movie. I am a movie buff, there are "tons" of movies I love but this movie tops them all. The only thing I am sorry about is that I did know this movie was based on a true story and by reading some of the posts in here I found that the true story did not have a happy ending like the movie. When I read that the little boy, Etan, was never found I felt like I swallowed my heart and I kind of feel like, we the viewers who love this movie, are we selling the real family short by enjoying a movie that is not the actual story? I could never tear myself away from watching/wanting this movie but I do feel bad for the real family. I have seen this movie so many times that it doesn't take me until the ending to cry. I think I start to "churn" at the point that Judd and "his son" get into the car on their way because I know what is about to happen, and yes I cry every single time, doesn't matter how many times I have (and will) see this movie. I am studying criminal justice and this movie has me wondering if maybe I should just go into a field of dealing with missing children, but I don't know if I could handle the disappointment because I am almost certain that the outcome of a high percentage of cases is that of a depressing ending. Okay, so I have babbled enough, I just had to put my "two cents" in on how much I LOVE THIS MOVIE TOO. If anyone ever gets any additional information on this movie being available on DVD please don't hesitate to email me and inform me of that. ([email protected])