The Missing 2003

Set against the backdrop of New Mexico in 1885, The Missing presents a gripping tale of estrangement and family ties. The story centers around Maggie Gilkeson, portrayed by Cate Blanchett, a tenacious prairie doctor striving to provide for her two daughters in a harsh, unforgiving landscape. Her world is upended when her estranged father, played by Tommy Lee Jones, unexpectedly reappears after two decades of living among the Indians—a choice he made long ago that left his family behind.

“You have to reunite with your family to save your life,” warns the medicine man after a dangerous rattlesnake incident that forces him to confront his past. Despite his desperate attempts to reconnect, Maggie harbors intense resentment towards him and promptly casts him out from her home.

However, chaos ensues when Maggie’s eldest daughter, Lilly, expertly brought to life by Evan Rachel Wood, is kidnapped by a ruthless group of renegade Indians. This band has already captured several young girls to sell into prostitution in Mexico. With no assistance from the sheriff and her heart broken with despair, Maggie realizes that she must reluctantly join forces with the very man she despises—her father. Together, they embark on a harrowing journey into the wilderness, united by the desperate need to rescue Lilly and heal the wounds of their fractured family.