They really tried hard, but so many scenes were so unbelievable, it was difficult to stay in the story. The police procedures were so bad that it was a good thing the kidnapper decided to kill himself because the entire case would have been thrown out of court on day one.
Entering a dwelling house with no warrant means ALL the evidence subsequently discovered would be thrown out of court. And here in California - and I assume, also in South Carolina where this film is placed - as soon as patrol officers walk through a crime scene without proper overalls or booties, the scene is contaminated. No chain of evidence. No preservation of the crime scene. No nothing.
Yes, it's only a movie but because so much of it was listed as a police procedural drama, they could have gotten ONE thing right.
Plus, the entire arrest and takedown scene was laughably bad. Police officers in South Carolina listening in to two-way radio chatter from Florida? On a 1960's vintage CB radio? Armed kidnapper and they only send TWO Sheriff officers with no backup? The kidnapper pulls a gun and aims it at the officers and they don't shoot? Wow ... those two are about the luckiest (and dumbest) Sherriff officers in the U. S.
It's too bad the great performances and great direction were let down by the meh story and the complete and utter lack of believable police procedures. This was 2002 after all ... not the 1960s!
But Katie Douglas was brilliant with her restrained performance, which was a lot like the real Kara must have behaved in that situation. Sherrif Price was BRILLIANT, and these two and their relationship were the highlight of the movie. The mother basically phoned it in, which is too bad because I enjoyed her in Stranger Things and I know she is capable of a lot more.
Entering a dwelling house with no warrant means ALL the evidence subsequently discovered would be thrown out of court. And here in California - and I assume, also in South Carolina where this film is placed - as soon as patrol officers walk through a crime scene without proper overalls or booties, the scene is contaminated. No chain of evidence. No preservation of the crime scene. No nothing.
Yes, it's only a movie but because so much of it was listed as a police procedural drama, they could have gotten ONE thing right.
Plus, the entire arrest and takedown scene was laughably bad. Police officers in South Carolina listening in to two-way radio chatter from Florida? On a 1960's vintage CB radio? Armed kidnapper and they only send TWO Sheriff officers with no backup? The kidnapper pulls a gun and aims it at the officers and they don't shoot? Wow ... those two are about the luckiest (and dumbest) Sherriff officers in the U. S.
It's too bad the great performances and great direction were let down by the meh story and the complete and utter lack of believable police procedures. This was 2002 after all ... not the 1960s!
But Katie Douglas was brilliant with her restrained performance, which was a lot like the real Kara must have behaved in that situation. Sherrif Price was BRILLIANT, and these two and their relationship were the highlight of the movie. The mother basically phoned it in, which is too bad because I enjoyed her in Stranger Things and I know she is capable of a lot more.