WITHOUT A TRACE

US, 1983, 115 minutes, Colour.
Kate Nelligan, Judd Hirsch, David Dukes, Stockard Channing.
Directed by Stanley R. Jaffe.

Without a Trace is good a solid drama about the abduction of a child. The film focuses on the child so that he is a real character before he is abducted and audiences can share the concern of his mother.

The film is a tour-de-force for Kate Nelligan. Always a strong presence on screen, she has to exhibit a range of emotions with the disappearance of her child, the concern of the family, her dealing with the New York police. As she grows more desperate, she tries more desperate methods, including going to psychics.

Judd Hirsch is the New York detective, a fallible detective, trying to do his best. There are also effective scenes with Stockard Channing.

While the film builds up momentum, has audiences very much emotionally involved in the search for the child, it has a happy ending which many will feel something of a let-down and has too much of the sentimental happy ending seemingly required by Hollywood.

1. A topical melodrama? The background of city life, marriage, the family, marriage break-up, children? The violence of the American cities? The threats of child pornography?

2. A popular treatment of serious themes? How well did it work? For American audiences? World-wide audiences? Impact for parents? Younger audiences?

3. The background of New York, city life, apartments, the streets? The people of New York, the police? The contrast with Connecticut? Authentic atmosphere? The presentation of the media - with media styles? Pace and editing for suspense, anguish? Contribution of the score and its atmosphere?

4. The effect of the introduction: Susan and her looking after Alex? The beginning of the day, her love for her son. impatience at his behaviour, his apology? Kate Nelligan's impact as an authentic mother? Love, concern, anger? Her seeing Alex to school? Susan's lecturing and her intellectual background, academic world? 3.30 and her beginning to worry about Alex? Phoning her friend? The possibility of his disappearance? The impact of the title?

5. The film establishing Alex as real: an only child, partly spoilt, the dog, giving his breakfast to the dog, apologising, his goodbye to his mother? The background of information of child pornography, Patrick Sullivan and his working in the apartment, the underpants and the blood? The discovery of his whereabouts? The strange couple and their kidnapping him? His return? The screenplay parallelling Alex with Manetti's son?

6. Susan and her role as wife, mother, lecturer? The situation with Graeme? Her having to cope? The police and the interrogations? The long search? The various suspects? The wisdom of going on television or not? Her going on talkback shows - and the encounter with the black mother whose child was dead? The relationship with her husband, her husband's girlfriend? The neighbours? The anguish, the calm? The growing friendship with Manetti? His visits, information, her going to the station? Impatience with him? Time passing? The meetings at the school? Her ability to cope - or not? Her growing obsessiveness? The showdown with Graeme at the restaurant? Her attack on her friend and telling her off? Her attack on various people? Phone calls? The impact of the search - the visit to psychics? The visit to the prison to see Patrick Sullivan? Her almost giving up? The sentiment of the ending and the reuniting with Alex?

7. The contrast with Graeme: the background of the marriage. the break-up. academic careers? The police suspecting him of kidnapping his son? The type? His reaction? Sharing concern with his wife? His growing with her, going to the meetings. the visit to the psychic? His response to her obsessiveness and his being attacked?

8. The portrait of Manetti as a New York detective? Skill, type, making mistakes, errors of judgment? The film filling in his background: wife, alienation at times, children and concern, home life? Parties and barbecues? His trying to grow closer to his son? His wife's attack on him? The evidence that he used, the following up of phone calls, the cranks, the psychics? The passing of time? His friendship with Susan? His strong stances with her? The outing with his son, following the information given and going to Connecticut, the driving and its dramatic presentation, the discovery of Alex, the return? A three-dimensional portrait of a police officer?

9. The presentation of the police, their methods? Skill? Limitations? Heavy pressures?

10. The picture of psychics and their contribution to police work? Audience belief or disbelief? The psychic and her information - especially about the blue car? The irony of the blue car being in the drive of the house at the end?

11. The media, their brutal interviews, intrusions? The use of the media for spreading information? The talk shows? The pathos of the

12. Patrick Sullivan: his work in the house, his coming to help, the truth about him, the story of his background, homosexuality? Susan visiting him in prison, his declaration of innocence? The illustration of homosexual kidnap, the fear of child pornography?

13. The people who kidnapped Alex, the pathos, their reasons - with the insane touch?

14. The film's highlighting the possibilities for children disappearing, cautions, the type of American society?

15. The dramatic effect of the plot? Audiences being caught up with the characters and the situations? Moods? Sentiment? The strength of the performances - and Kate Nelligan's credibility as Susan? The happy ending - with the touch of feeling let down?