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Synopsis:
Detective Tom Adkins’ (JON HAMM) son Tommy Jr. disappears on a fateful Fourth of July afternoon, and in the ensuing eight years Tom’s work becomes an obsession for him. Tom attempts to solve the case of his missing son, but his efforts have yielded only one solid suspect – an already jailed and convicted kidnapper named Roggiani, whose current sentence is on the verge of being commuted – and no concrete proof. As Tom buries himself in his work and shows no willingness to move on with his life, his marriage to Tommy Jr.’s mother Barbara (RHONA MITRA) suffers.
An early morning phone call leads Tom to the mangled remains of a young boy, buried in a box beneath the ground. At first Tom and Barbara believe that the victim could be Tommy Jr., but forensic evidence reveals that this boy was murdered 50 years prior. Driven to solve the murder as a means of exorcising his own demons, Tom uncovers the long-forgotten mystery of a man named Matthew Wakefield (JOSH LUCAS) and the disappearance of his son John (JIMMY BENNETT).
In 1958 Matthew’s wife commits suicide, and he faces a home under foreclosure and a lack of employment, as he attempts to provide for his three sons. His wife’s sister’s family agrees to take care of his two oldest boys while he attempts to establish a new life, but they cannot support John, a special needs child.
Matthew finds work at a construction site in the town of Barnstable, and his earnest, industrious nature endears him to his employer and his co-workers. However, he still has trouble finding someone to care for John, and his boss gives him an ultimatum after John spends yet another day at the site. One co-worker in particular that John befriends, Diploma (JAMES VAN DER BEEK), encourages Matthew to romance a married woman who has made advances toward him. She is Rose Montgomery (MORENA BACCARIN), and although Matthew initially proceeds with Diploma’s plan, he immediately realizes it is a mistake. Matthew leaves John in the car while he is with Rose, and it is at that time that John is abducted.
Tortured by guilt and grief, Matthew searches desperately for John, but he is unable to find him. He finds some measure of solace in Sally Ann, who becomes his second wife.
In 2008 Tom works to solve John’s murder. His tormented investigation leads him to find Matthew’s widow Sally Ann, and one of Matthew’s other sons, Luke. Through Sally Ann’s tale of Matthew’s hardship and emotional struggle so similar to his own, Tom finds some degree of comfort. Tom pieces together the evidence and concludes that Roggiani and Diploma are one and the same man, responsible for the murders of both John and Tommy Jr. In a final confrontation and interrogation with Roggiani, Tom finds the truth and the closure he has sought for so many years. Together, he and Barbara resolve to move forward with their lives.
Cast:
Jon Hamm – Tom Adkins Sr.
Josh Lucas – Matthew Wakefield
Jimmy Bennett – John
James Van Der Beek – Diploma / Roggiani
Rhona Mitra – Barbara
Jessica Chastain – Sally Ann
Release Date :
March 5, 2010 (on Demand) and March 12, 2010 (in Theater)
Anders Anderson and Andy Steinman about casting Jon:
“We knew instantly that Jon was our man. He was everything that Tom Adkins needed to be: practical in speech, intelligent, thoughtful, reserved and yet had the ability to show a deep sense of emotion. Getting both Josh and Jon on the film solidified our confidence that a strong connection and strong performances would bring out the best in the movie.
Usually first-time filmmakers aren’t fortunate enough to get either a Josh Lucas or Jon Hamm and we were able to get both and trust us, we were both thrilled.”
Jon about his character:
“It’s an emotional story. It’s sort of two stories, but they do cross paths obviously through my character trying to find the murderer of both these young boys, so it’s a very emotional story. When you talk about the loss of a child, it’s obviously tragic and awful…. So I think…what attracted me to it is the emotion of the story and the parallels of the two men’s lives in it who lose these kids. It’s powerful. It’s impactful.
Tom is a detective in the local police department, and as we see in the opening of the movie he loses his child. His child is abducted in a moment that’s happened to anybody that’s either had a dog or a kid or anything you’re taking care of. You look away for a minute and all of a sudden it’s gone, and I think that can resonate with a lot of people. So that’s what my character’s dealing with, and throughout the story of the movie a body is discovered of a child that he originally thinks is his, and then we find out isn’t. The question becomes: whose child is this? As I said, we have these parallel stories happening. It’s also about what happens to the parents and the families when these terrible events happen. These children are lost, and what does it mean for the father, what does it mean for the mother, and what does it mean for their marriage? All of those things come into play as well.
These are very human emotions. Everybody has them. You want to take care of your kids. You’re devastated when they go away or they are taken from you. I think those are all pretty universal emotions.”
Jon about the film:
“You know, life’s long, and it doesn’t end at 20 or 30 or whatever. It ends when it ends, and you have to fill that life up with positive experiences and not dwell on the terrible negatives in the past and all that stuff. I think that’s what my character and his wife decide to do by the end of the film.”
