The Missing (2003): Modern Western Misfire by Ron Howard

Epic Star Power and New Mexico Scenery Can’t Save “The Missing”

Ron Howard’s “The Missing” attempts to blend high art with the Western genre, but it ends up as a lumbering, cliché-ridden film. Despite the star power of Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones, this movie struggles under the weight of its own pretensions.

The Missing (2003) Summary

Set in 1885, “The Missing” follows Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchett), a frontier woman whose daughter Lily (Evan Rachel Wood) is kidnapped by renegade Apaches. Maggie’s estranged father, Samuel Jones (Tommy Lee Jones), reappears to help her track down the abductors. The journey reveals complex cultural and personal conflicts, leading to a violent showdown.

Cast

• Cate Blanchett as Maggie Gilkeson
• Tommy Lee Jones as Samuel Jones
• Evan Rachel Wood as Lily Gilkeson
• Eric Schweig as Pesh-Chidin

Review

While “The Missing” boasts impressive performances and stunning New Mexico landscapes, it falters in its attempt to elevate a basic revenge plot to something more profound. Howard’s direction often feels heavy-handed, slowing the pace to a crawl and draining the film of any real tension.

Tommy Lee Jones shines as Samuel Jones, a white man who has assimilated into the Chiricahua Apache tribe. His portrayal of a man caught between two worlds is compelling, bringing depth to a character who otherwise might have been one-dimensional. Cate Blanchett matches him with a strong, determined performance, but the script doesn’t give her enough to work with, relying on tired tropes and predictable character arcs.

The film’s attempt at serious cultural commentary falls flat, weighed down by outdated stereotypes and mystical clichés. The portrayal of Native Americans, complete with chanting, witch doctors, and peyote visions, feels more like a throwback to ’70s cinema than a contemporary exploration of cultural identity.

Howard struggles to balance the film’s violent and dramatic elements. The action scenes, crucial to any Western, are poorly executed. The shaky, frantic camerawork detracts from the impact, making the climactic battles more confusing than thrilling. The music score, which aims for grandeur, instead comes off as overbearing and mismatched to the film’s tone.

Despite its flaws, “The Missing” does have moments of genuine emotion. The strained relationship between Maggie and Samuel adds a layer of complexity to the story. Their journey together, fraught with unresolved issues and mutual resentment, provides the film’s most engaging scenes. However, these moments are few and far between, overshadowed by a plot that plods along without much urgency.

In Conclusion “The Missing” is a missed opportunity. With a cast of this caliber and the rich potential of its setting and premise, it could have been a standout in the modern Western genre. Instead, it gets bogged down in its own seriousness, unable to deliver the excitement or emotional depth it promises. For fans of Blanchett and Jones, it might still be worth a watch, but don’t expect it to live up to the classics it tries so hard to emulate.