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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "ABANDON" (2002) (Katie Holmes, Benjamin Bratt) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Extreme Mild Extreme Moderate Minor Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Minor Mild Heavy None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy None Mild Moderate Heavy QUICK TAKE: Suspense/Thriller: An overworked college senior begins to fall for the detective who's investigating the two-year-old disappearance of her former boyfriend. PLOT: Katie Burke (KATIE HOLMES) is a college senior who's under a great deal of stress. Not only must she complete her thesis and take her exams, but she also has to attend interviews to get a post-graduation job. Then there's that troublesome bit concerning a missing person. It seems that her rich, orphaned boyfriend, Embry (CHARLIE HUNNAM), disappeared two years ago and hasn't been heard from since. Lack of any financial activity on his part had led most people to think he's dead, but Lt. Bill Stayton (FRED WARD) has just assigned Det. Wade Handler (BENJAMIN BRATT) to look into the case once again. A recovering alcoholic, Wade has his own problems, but starts his investigation that obviously leads directly to Katie. She doesn't have time to deal with an issue that she believes to be closed, but his perseverance and her sudden sightings of someone who looks a great deal like Embry eventually change her mind. Katie's friends Sam (ZOOEY DESCHANEL) and Amanda (GABRIELLE UNION) realize that Katie is seemingly starting to fall for Handler. Although she starts to agree with them, she must deal with the investigation, a friend, Harrison (GABRIEL MANN), who's fallen for her, an odd girl in the library, Mousy Julie (MELANIE LYNSKEY) who seems to have a secret, and thoughts that she might be overstressed or possibly losing her mind as her sightings of and eventual encounters with Embry increase. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of someone in the cast, they might, but unless they're into generic suspense thrillers, it doesn't seem overly enticing to most other kids. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For drug and alcohol content, sexuality, some violence and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: To avoid giving away any late in the game developments/revelations, only the initial characteristics are noted below. KATIE HOLMES plays an overworked college senior who starts believing that her long-missing boyfriend is coming back and following/watching her. During this, she starts falling for Handler who's investigating that unsolved missing person's case and apparently sleeps with him. She also drinks to the point of being rather drunk and sleeps with Embry in the past. BENJAMIN BRATT plays the detective who's an on-the-wagon cop assigned to investigate Embry's long-standing missing person's case. He apparently ends up sleeping with Katie. CHARLIE HUNNAM plays Katie's missing and pretentious boyfriend who we see in various flashbacks and may or may not see in the present. ZOOEY DESCHANEL plays Katie's best friend at college who briefly smokes pot, drinks, and uses some profanity. GABRIELLE UNION plays another friend who also drinks. GABRIEL MANN plays Katie's close male friend who obviously likes her but doesn't realize the feeling isn't mutual from a romantic standpoint. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this suspense/thriller that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 2 "s" words and a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases. Some sexually related dialogue occurs, while sounds of sexual activity from another room are heard. A young woman sleeps with two different men off-camera (one in the past, the other in the present), some making out and other related material occurs, and a young woman is briefly seen in her bra and panties in a nonsexual context. A person separately kills two people with the same sort of blow to the head, while a young man gets a bit rough with a young woman. Other bad attitudes are also present. Some of those scenes and some standard suspense ones may be unsettling or tense to some viewers (and include several "jump scenes"). Various students drink (some a great deal to the point of intoxication and having a hangover), a cop is noted as being a recovering alcoholic, and there's some brief drug use and conversations about drugs. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, full strobe effects occur for several minutes in a scene after a party. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE When assigned the missing persons case, Handler is told that Embry had some involvement in drugs. Handler stares at some liquor in a person's office. Many students drink a great deal at a party including Katie and Sam. Both drink many shots of liquor followed by beer, and Katie then drinks more shots while playing chess. Later, she and others appear rather intoxicated, and she has a bad hangover the next day. We see Wade at an AA meeting where he talks about finding bar receipts for places he doesn't recall going to and finding a dent, blood and some hair on his car in another event he doesn't recall (while drunk). Wade asks Amanda if Embry was selling drugs like heroin, but she tells him that he was just taking prescription mood balancers. Wade mentions something about substance abuse in his past. Some people have wine in a restaurant. Harrison's parents asks Katie if Harrison was using drugs (she says he wasn't). Various students drink and Sam passes a makeshift bong to another student who takes a hit from it (Sam may have used it as well). We see Wade exit a liquor store with a bottle of booze in a brown paper bag. He takes a drink and the scene ends there. When we return to it, we see him spit it out, but he can't then drive due to a breathalyzer ignition lock on his car. Various students, including Katie, Sam and Harrison, drink champagne after graduation. BLOOD/GORE We see some blood on a stone that was used to kill someone. We also see a little bit of blood on the victim's head. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The person who kills two other people obviously has a bad attitude. Some men stare at Katie's clothed butt as she walks by with Sam. As presented in the flashback scenes and those that may or may not take place in the present, Embry is an egotistical student who's full of himself and then essentially stalks Katie (in the present). Katie's psychiatrist tries to put the moves on her, saying he was going to ask for her number and he puts his hands on hers. We see that a male boss and his young female assistant having been having a love affair. FRIGHTENING SCENES Katie awakens at the library alone in the early morning hours. She then slowly walks through the stacks until she finds a book on a shelf. She then suddenly sees someone eyes behind the book. She panics and runs through the library and then down a hallway. Katie awakens in her room where she hears someone trying to open her door and sees the knob moving. There's then some loud banging on the door. Katie can't get out of a house and has a run-in with a guy who then acts romantically toward her. He then gets a bit rough with her, grabbing her by the hair and struggling with her. He pins her arms against the cupboard and appears to be undoing both of their zippers, but she kicks him in the crotch. Wade slowly makes his way through an old and dilapidated place. Wade (with gun drawn) and Katie make their way through an old, dark and dilapidated building looking for Embry. GUNS/WEAPONS Handgun: Held by Wade as he makes his way through a building at night. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Sneaky bitch," "Pissed their life away," "Screw" (nonsexual), "Bastard," "Idiot," "You piss me off like nobody else," "The hell with it" and "Crazy bitch." JUMP SCENES Katie suddenly sees someone's eyes behind a book in the library. There's some sudden loud banging on a door in a quiet scene. A guy suddenly grabs Katie. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 2 "s" words, 2 slang terms for sex ("do him"), 4 uses of "God," 2 of "G-damn" and 1 of "Oh my God" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY Some men stare at Katie's clothed butt as she walks by with Sam. Sam then comments that yes, it's a fine fantasy object, but is useful in other purposes as well. When Harrison approaches Katie, another friend mockingly says (before Harrison reaches them), "Makes me so horny" (after Harrison's attraction to Katie). As Katie gets dressed for an interview, we first see her in her bra and then see a brief, straight-on shot of her in her panties. As Katie tries to study in her room, she hears sexual sounds coming from next door (rhythmic bed thumping and muffled voices and pleasured sounds). We see a flashback of Embry jokingly telling Katie that someone as organized as her couldn't have time for sex (he tells her that after saying she's a virgin). We then see them passionately making out while clothed and standing in a room where they knock over things. He kisses down her body and partially lifts up her skirt. We then see them in bed, apparently after sex (he's shirtless, she has a top on). While Katie and Sam talk about Katie visiting a psychiatrist, Sam jokingly says that Katie wants to "do him." She then says that again and wonders how long it's been for Katie (since she had sex) and the answer is her sophomore year. Sam then jokes about what if it's rusty or broken (referring to Katie's sexual organs). We see Katie in what looks like underwear fashioned after men's briefs. We see a brief flashback of Katie and Embry making out and then later see another flashback of them rolling in a field (clothed) with both alternating being on top of the other. There's some talk about a guy snatching the maidenhead from the maiden (or something like that). Katie can't get out of a house and has a run-in with a guy who then acts romantically toward her. He passionately kisses her mouth and neck, but then gets a bit rough with her, grabbing her by the hair and struggling with her. He pins her arms against the cupboard and appears to be undoing both of their zippers, but she kicks him in the crotch. Katie and Wade make out and we then see him kissing her belly as they stand (we see her bare back). She then imagines being with Embry, but then wakes up in Wade's bed (so sex is implied between them - both are under the covers). In a flashback, Katie tells Embry that they "made love right over there." SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Embry's parents died when he was very young. Katie talks about having feelings of emptiness when her father left when she was just a young girl. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Stress. College life and the workloads of students, including trying to line up a job upon graduation. Mental illness. We see Wade at an AA meeting where he talks about finding bar receipts for places he doesn't recall going to and finding a dent, blood and some hair on his car in another event he doesn't recall (while drunk). VIOLENCE Katie pushes Embry backwards and does so again. Katie can't get out of a house and has a run-in with a guy who then acts romantically toward her. He then gets a bit rough with her, grabbing her by the hair and struggling with her. He pins her arms against the cupboard and appears to be undoing both of their zippers, but she kicks him in the crotch. Wade throws a bottle of booze to the street where it shatters. A guy pushes Katie back against a wall at night and has his hand around her neck, telling her he'll follow her wherever she goes. A person hits another person over the head with a large stone, killing them (with the body falling into a body of water). That person then does the same to another person. Reviewed October 14, 2002 / Posted October 18, 2002

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