If you’re a parent, you’ll be doubly disturbed by Stolen, which delivers twin tales of child abduction and murder. Advertised as being based on a true story, the film is loosely inspired by the notorious “Boy in the Box” case. The basic scenario of a child’s body being discovered, buried in a box, is really the only aspect of the true crime utilized here. The rest is completely fictionalized. The real “Boy in the Box” mystery remains unsolved, but Stolen reinterprets events and adds a second slaying since one apparently wasn’t depressing enough.
Helmed by freshman director Anders Anderson, Stolen tells the parallel stories of grieving fathers dealing with the loss of a son. The main story takes place in 2008, where we find detective Tom Adkins (Jon Hamm) still haunted by the unsolved murder of his son 8 years before. He thinks he knows who did it but could never find any concrete proof to connect the suspect to his son. His deep rooted angst is the cause of a major rift in his relationship with his beautiful wife (Rhona Mitra of Boston Legal), but Tom can’t rest until he finds out the truth about his son’s fate.
Tom is called to the scene of a crime where the buried remains of a murdered child are discovered in an old toy box. At first he hopes (and fears) that his son has finally been found. But the Boy in the Box turns out to have been in the ground for decades. Since Tom can’t find closure for his own son, maybe solving this decades old mystery will bring him some sort of peace. Tom becomes obsessed with the case. As he digs into the past, he starts to find unnerving clues which lead him to think there might be a connection to his own son’s disappearance. Is he right, or is his obsession getting the better of him?
The second storyline takes place in 1958 and tells us the real story of the Boy in the Box, who’s name is John (Jimmy Bennett). John’s father is a down-on-his-luck construction worker named Matthew Wakefield (Josh Lucas), who is raising three kids alone, after his wife killed herself due to intense postpartum depression. Unable to pay off his debts, he is forced to unload two of his children with his relatives, but they won’t take responsibility for the developmentally disabled John. Matthew and John go on the road, and Matthew hopes to find work somewhere. He manages to get a job as a construction worker and hopes to be able to send for his other sons soon. He works alongside a charming, affable fellow called “Diploma” (James Van Der Beek of Dawson’s Creek) who encourages Matthew to hook up with a sexy local girl named Rose (Morena Baccarin of V). Matthew unwisely leaves his son alone while he slips off for a quickie with Rose and when he gets back, his son is gone. Who took John and why?
The original title of the film was Stolen Lives, which works better than just Stolen. Other than the obvious plot point about the lives of children being taken, the subtext of the film is about how the lives of the two fathers were basically stolen from them due to the tragic deaths of their sons, and their own feelings of culpability. Both men feel that they should have been able to protect their child better and both are tortured by not knowing what really happened to their child.
The intense subject matter gives the film a lot of potential for emotional resonance but it never quite becomes as powerful as it should. Films like Clint Eastwood’s excellent Mystic River do a far better job dealing with a similar topic. The dialogue here is basically uninvolving and first-time director Anderson fails to use his camera as a storytelling tool. He does a nice job with panoramic views of the landscape as Matthew’s car sails across country, but he never frames his shots to capture a moment or an emotion, as a more experienced director would. Think of the way Clint Eastwood used his camera during the scene in Mystic River when Sean Penn discovers that his daughter’s dead body has been found. A scene like that shows you what a veteran director can do to enhance a scene with the proper placement of the camera. Anderson is too green to manage such a feat. Anderson also erred in his period-specific details. Matthew’s kids, for instance, have long, modern hair. Boys in the 50’s did not look like that.
This isn’t a bad film but it could have been much better if helmed by a more experienced director. The cast does a nice job, considering most of the dialogue is flat and uninspired. The topic is a parent’s worst nightmare and it will probably have a more intense effect on people with children.
DVD Bonus Features
The DVD features include a trailer for the film and a ‘behind-the-scenes’ segment where cast members talk about the film and praise their novice director.
"Stolen" is on sale June 29, 2010 and is rated R. Drama, Mystery. Directed by Anders Anderson. Written by Glenn Taranto. Starring James Van Der Beek, Jon Hamm, Josh Lucas, Rhona Mitra.
