The Vanishing (1993)

Director:

George Sluizer

Writers (WGA):

Tim Krabbé (novel)
Todd Graff (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 February 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

If someone you loved mysteriously vanished how far out of your mind would you go to find them?

Plot:

The boyfriend of an abducted woman never gives up the search as the abductor looks on.

Plot Keywords:

Waitress | Obsession | Buried Alive | Kidnapping | Missing Person

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Barney Cousins
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Jeff Harriman
Nancy Travis	...	Rita Baker
Sandra Bullock	...	Diane Shaver
Park Overall	...	Lynn
Maggie Linderman	...	Denise Cousins
Lisa Eichhorn	...	Helene Cousins
George Hearn	...	Arthur Bernard
Lynn Hamilton	...	Miss Carmichael
Garrett Bennett	...	Cop at Gas Station (as Gareth Bennett)
George Catalano	...	Highway Cop
Frank Girardeau	...	Cop at Apartment
Stephen Bridgewater	...	TV Host (as Stephen Wesley Bridgewater)
Susan Barnes	...	Colleague
Rich Hawkins	...	Stan
Michael Kaufman	...	DMV Clerk
Sabrena Roddy	...	Cashier
Andrea Lauren Herz	...	Woman #1 on the Street
Joanne Schmoll	...	Woman #2 on the Street
Allison Barcott	...	Woman with Barrette
Aeryk Egan	...	Young Barney
James Chesnutt	...	Pump Attendant
Danielle Zuckerman	...	Little Girl
Floyd Van Buskirk	...	Man in Line
Marius Mazmanian	...	Cook
Gina Gallante	...	Woman in Ladies Room
Michael John Hughes	...	Denise's Boyfriend
Howard Matthew Johnson	...	DMV Guard
Kristopher Logan	...	Waiter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leonard Kelly-Young	...	Jeff's Boss (uncredited)

Directed by
George Sluizer

Writing credits (WGA)
Tim Krabbé		(novel "The Golden Egg")
Todd Graff		(screenplay)

Produced by
Larry Brezner	....	producer
Pieter Jan Brugge	....	executive producer
Todd Graff	....	co-producer
Paul Schiff	....	producer
Lauren Weissman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Peter Suschitzky

Film Editing by
Bruce Green

Casting by
Juel Bestrop
Risa Bramon Garcia

Production Design by
Jeannine Claudia Oppewall		(as Jeannine C. Oppewall)

Art Direction by
Steven Wolff		(as Steve Wolff)

Set Decoration by
Anne H. Ahrens		(as Anne Ahrens)

Costume Design by
Durinda Wood

Makeup Department
Sheryl Berkoff	....	makeup artist (as Sheryl Berkoff-Lowe)
Edouard F. Henriques	....	makeup supervisor (as Edouard Henriques)
Elaina P. Schulman	....	hair stylist (as Elaina Schulman)
Pamela Vincent-Casey	....	additional hair stylist
Edward Irastorza	....	assistant makeup effects lab technician (uncredited)

Production Management
Ira Shuman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yudi Bennett	....	first assistant director
Debra Kent	....	second second assistant director
Daniel Silverberg	....	second assistant director (as Daniel G. Silverberg)
John R. Woodward	....	first assistant director: additional photography

Art Department
Elizabeth M. Burhop	....	art department research
Brad Curry	....	set dresser
Amy Feldman	....	set dresser
Trish Gallaher Glenn	....	property master (as Trisha B. Gallaher)
Martha Goode	....	art department coordinator
Jane Kilkenny	....	model builder
Pete Lawrence	....	construction coordinator (as Peter Lawrence)
Richard Toyon	....	set designer (as Richard Yanez)
Clyde Zimmerman	....	painter

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Beth Bergeron	....	supervising adr editor
Michael Dressel	....	foley editor
Robert Grieve	....	supervising sound editor
Hilda Hodges	....	foley artist
Gary Holland	....	boom operator
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Murray	....	supervising foley editor
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Roy Seeger	....	assistant sound editor
Jeff Wexler	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
James M. Hart	....	special effects coordinator (as James Hart)
David Sandlin	....	special effects supervisor

Stunts
Perry Barndt	....	stunts
Loyd Catlett	....	stunts
Gilbert B. Combs	....	stunts (as Gil Combs)
Gary Edelen	....	stunts
Troy Gilbert	....	stunts
Gene Hartline	....	stunts
Chris Howell	....	stunt coordinator
Robert Keller	....	stunts
Hanne Borge Kesten	....	stunts
Jamie Jo Medearis	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jenna Abrahamson-Minardi	....	lighting technician
Michael Baird	....	video assistant
Nico Bally	....	rigging grip
Alan J.F. Betrancourt	....	camera loader (as Alan Betrancourt)
Katherine M. Butler	....	first assistant camera (as Katherine Butler)
David R. Christensen	....	electrician
Mike Connors	....	dolly grip
Gary Dagg	....	key grip
David Daunt	....	camera technician: Wescam, aerial unit
Mitch Dubin	....	camera operator
Ken Fisher	....	steadicam assistant
David Garden	....	second assistant camera
Michael Gfelner	....	steadicam assistant
Bob Gorelick	....	steadicam operator (as Robert Gorelick)
Jim Grce	....	gaffer
Kirk Hunsicker	....	lighting technician: musco light
Joe Kelly	....	best boy grip
Dan Kneece	....	steadicam operator
Jeffrey Laszlo	....	additional camera operator
Rexford L. Metz	....	camera operator: aerial unit (as Rex Metz)
Ralph Nelson	....	still photographer (as Ralph Nelson Jr.)
Dayton Nietert	....	rigging gaffer
Jason Poteet	....	rigging key grip
Joe Ritter	....	steadicam assistant
Rob Sweeney	....	first assistant camera
Steve Venetis	....	best boy electric
Elizabeth Ziegler	....	steadicam operator

Animation Department
John Monsour	....	24 frame computer animation

Casting Department
Amy Caton-Ford	....	extras casting: Seattle
Tina Kerr	....	extras casting assistant
Jennifer Low Sauer	....	casting assistant (as Jennifer Sauer)
Robert J. Teitelbaum	....	extras casting: Los Angeles (as Robert Teitelbaum)
Mary Vernieu	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Camille Argus	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Mark L. Levine	....	assistant editor
Sheila MacDowell	....	assistant editor
Fabienne Rawley	....	associate editor

Music Department
Bruce Botnick	....	score mixer
Kenneth Hall	....	supervising music editor
Scott Stambler	....	music editor
Nick Vidar	....	music programmer
Jerry Goldsmith	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
James Nordberg	....	transportation
David Shaffer	....	transportation coordinator (as David Shafer)

Other crew
Vicky Berglund-Davenport	....	location consultant: Seattle
Michele A. Carmel	....	set production assistant
Pam Cornfeld-Walker	....	production coordinator
Robert Dawson	....	title designer
Steven R. Kutcher	....	bug wrangler (as Steve Kutcher)
Josh Laurence	....	production assistant
Jill Maxcy	....	production assistant
Roxanne Reaver	....	assistant accountant
Peter M. Robarts	....	location manager (as Peter Robarts)
Sharon Sacks	....	studio teacher
John D. Sarviss	....	helicopter pilot: aerial unit (as John Darviss)
Spooky Stevens	....	unit publicist
Tammy Strange	....	location consultant
Marion Tumen	....	script supervisor
Riley Kathryn Ellis	....	studio executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Fox Lorber (video)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Manuel Salvador (Spain)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  titles and opticals
• Dixon/Walker Casting  casting: seattle
• J. Dolan Projection Units  location projection system provided by
• Los Angeles Casting Express Inc.  extras casting: los angeles
• Musco Mobile Lighting Ltd.  lighting
• R.E.D. Productions  titles
• Skywalker Sound  post-production sound services
• Tomkats Catering  catering

MPAA:

Rated R for terror and violence, and for language.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Australia:M | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Chile:14 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Cody, Wyoming, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

With a budget set at $20 million, this US remake cost over 10 times what George Sluizer's original Dutch version had in 1988.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): After Barney puts the cast on, with the bottle inside of it, he puts the car in park, but you will notice the cast is not on.

Quotes:

Cop at Gas Station: I stongly urge you to move your face back to where it was.

Movie Connections:

Version of Spoorloos (1988)

Soundtrack:

COPACABANA

A Horrid Mess

Skip this Hollywood version, a real piece of garbage. A cheap insult to the brilliant original "Spoorloos", or by the English title also called "The Vanishing". It completely misses the mark in typical, grotesque Hollywood fashion, usually due to a bunch of talentless, corporate bean counters who haven't the vaguest idea about anything artistic, they just look for the "successful formula" and want it applied to everything to glean a profit. Much like the awful "The Scarlet Letter" made in 1995, which twisted the original story around so much to suit the MacDonaldsland crowd, that it became an aberration, not even a bastardization, but a pile of goop that has been sort of shaped similar but does not look, feel or even remotely resemble the spirit of the original. Except that movie at least had Gary Oldman, who is interesting to watch in anything he does. This dog has nothing going for it, even the usually very talented Jeff Bridges is an embarrassment. Great tragedy is not nor never should be "the feel good movie of the year" but rather takes one or more of the sadly much too frequent tragic events in life and allows the reader/viewer to draw meaning and insight into the human condition.

Do yourself a great favor if you're looking for a rental and skip this grotesque garbage and pick up the original made in a Dutch/French collaboration in 1988. That is a great film. This is a horrific mess.