Vanished Without a Trace (1999 TV Movie) User Reviews

Solid TV movie

[andreslo2000 · 4/10 · 27 April 2000]

However just that. Nor the act, neither the story wasn't anything special. But if you are a lonely housewife, tired of Mexican soap operas and wish to spent an afternoon watching TV this is the right film for you!

Is this the movie where.....

[Video_Store_Girl · 6/10 · 16 July 2005]

Is this the movie where the daughter goes missing and later her bracelet is found then her friend (or someone) gets chloroformed over their mouths? Coz i saw this movie when i was younger and i really want to know if this is it! Also i s her body found in some grass somewhere? Please help me!

If you can help me that would be really great i saw this movie about oh i don't 5ish years ago if thats possible all i can remember is i watched it twice and thought it was good and the girl liked basketball or some sport i don't remember Shelley long though but i hope its this movie cause i've been searching for it for awhile.

Not worth viewing

[Black_Dog · 2/10 · 6 April 2002]

Was checking this title and user comments here before I watched it on TV yesterday. All I can say that anyone that cares for at least a bit quality to a story should avoid it. It isn't worth the time. I stayed for long but even if the plot was developing towards the end it couldn't keep me interested - switched channel 10 minutes before the end.

Anyway, the plot brings you what you can read as a summary, presenting the movie. It do not surprise you at all, with a helluva US family that suddenly misses their teen daughter. Then it present some villains that obvious that you immedialtly can count them out as the guy they should look for. And the very caring mother (a boring act by Mrs. Long) seems to control the Police Dep of that town. Whenever she has some crazy idea about the case (that even been cold after several months) she calls up the police and an hour later they are all there with metal detectors, dragging a lake an so on...

And the real villain... ...it took me about half an hour to understand who he was (I'm not that bad that I tell you here - in case you do not follow my advice, the rest of you have no interest anyway).

In between you will have to listen to a lot of crap lines, amatuer philosophy about family life...

Play a record or watch the news instead.

Not as bad as many say

[lindsey-dyson · 7/10 · 24 September 2007]

This film has a lot of bad reviews but if you are watching it because you like these kind of dramas then you will probably like it. Shelley Long is her usual self which isn't necessarily a bad thing. For me she is fitted to comedy so its always different seeing her in a role like this. This film is paced faster towards the end, and it is true you know who is involved but that didn't ruin it for me as some stuff is obvious. Its got a likable cast and seems to follow as expected for a crime in this type of town with the police following leads that Shelley longs character gives them. I was expecting this crime solving Shelley long film from the reviews I read but its not as bad as that she just follows a few informative leads as any mother would in her situation. Perfect for an afternoon movie when its raining outside and your just chilling inside the house with nothing better to do.

Have to Wonder

[sh33na · 5 November 2006]

I always wonder when someone gives a review and hones in on some obscure actor. Looking at the reviews made by another poster about the kid who plays the young son, well .. he is from the same area of Canada and mentions the child in almost every review he has written on IMDb. Coincidence? I think not.

As for this movie, I'm only 20 minutes into it and I've already figured out who "done it." Shelly Long's career sure went into the dumpster, didn't it? I think I'll switch over to the news.

Why must we write 10 lines of text? Some movies don't deserve one line.

The best thing so far about this movie is the house.

Not a great movie to watch

[maddie_662002 · 3/10 · 29 July 2006]

Shelly Long is not the greatest actress in this film, there was no chemistry between her and the actor who played her husband.......... movie dragged and lagged in some parts, did not like the way she treated her husband and how she seem to be oh so smarter than the cops the FBI, and all of the people out there looking for her missing daughter.

I think they could have done a better job all the way round with this movie because the premise was and is good, plus it shows that after the crowd of friends, family and police disband the family still must go on.

MIGHT BE A Spoiler DOWN BELOW

still I do not know why she blames the wife of the killer for his actions, that was kind of loony to me

Gone girl

[Prismark10 · 1/10 · 26 April 2016]

This true story type television film has a poor script but is highly charged to manipulate your emotions regarding perverts or child killers.

It wants to be a social issue movie but a television series like Quincy used to do things better.

Shelly Long is a loving mother whose mother disappears suddenly one day. We are presented with a city where danger lurks at every corner from the opening shot as she goes to pick her daughter up when she is out with her friends.

The film gives us a very obvious, leary villain so we can rule him out immediately but there is another more helpful suspect which turns out to be a person of interest later on.

It is a good job that Long's husband is a former policeman, because every time she rings up the police with any wide eyed theory, the police turn immediately even many months after her daughter's disappearance.

This is just a poor film with a horrible script.

Disappointing start...........better towards the end !

[nicholas.rhodes · 28 May 2004]

I just bought this on a cheapo DVD in France and was a little disappointed overall. Firstly, I guessed who the guilty party was very early on. Secondly, the first 49 minutes of the film are boring at times and the acting pretty hopeless. I was expecting something much more suspenseful, given the subject matter, along the lines of 'The Vanishing" with Sandra Bullock. The whole thing gets more lively from the 50th minute onwards but we are given little insight into why the killer acts in the way he/she does. Picture quality is excellent, that was at least to be expected since the film dates from 1999. A minor point, though it does count a little was that the actress who plays the mother didn't appear as someone very pleasant nor was she good-looking - for this reason it is difficult to sympathise with her ! With the disappearance for real of Estelle Mouzin in France over 3 years ago, the subject matter of the film is unfortunately all too real and had the acting been better this would have been a good film.

tragic story that to me is based on true life

[csavva · 3 January 2001]

Many tragic parents have lost a young member of the family in this cruel world which sick people are to blame. How can you take a child's life!... There are many films with the same story line, but I don't think the message to people quite gets across. It still happens even now this moment someone out there is being hurt. I think that these films could also corrupt people, maybe even to 'copy cat', to give them sick ideas. These films are not for boring housewives with nothing to do, if you have any compassion towards parents whom have lost a child you would of at least shed a tear when they found their child murdered months later.

comment on the acting

[Steve-548 · 18 August 1999]

The movie was well done. I was especially impressed with the little boy Daniel Magder who played the youngest child. He showed a lot of emotion and poise. The story line seemed a little suspect. Many of the low lives, seemed to be living in a fairly classy area.