What was the point of this?

Sienna Miller gives a good performance. I think that this is a movie that needs to be re-watched. I didn't really get it either the first time so I shall try again. The focus doesn't seem to be on the missing daughter at all.

That's a good question. I ended up liking this movie after being bugged by it for about 2/3 of it. But it seemed to say that if you want to be a mature person you have to go through big time trauma. That was not a good message.

This movie showed a lot more thought and sensitivity, more moviemaking craft and skill, but it was a weird movie. The turning point was when her daughter was found ... but that was incomplete too because we did not hear a thing about what the killer said to her. What was the point in skipping that?

Also, why wouldn't the whole family move away together. If something like that happened to my family, and also happened to me, how much would I want to stay in that place and be reminded of it every day constantly.

I'd like to read more about what people think of this movie. The IMDB has some pretty positive reviews, but they are fairly short and unrevealing about what people actually like about this movie.

To me, the movie was about the role women play in our society, as well as the expectations and dangers they face. It is also kind of a morality tale, if you ask me. We are presented with a woman getting ready for a date--an older woman, who has a teenage daughter who is also a mother. This, right here, is breaking some societal norms. In a "ideal" world, it would be the daughter going out, and she wouldn't have a son. She is also breaking societal norms by sleeping with a married man. Later, we find her rejecting and even making fun of the "Christian" values of her mother and sister. Unfortunately, she pays a huge price for this misbehavior. She loses her daughter. Whatsmore, she is forced to raise her grandson virtually by herself, all the while hoping her daughter may return.

Later we find her shacked up with an abusive boyfriend. This, she does, out of necessity, so she can go back to school and get a degree and improve her life. Many women, I think, are "forced" into this kind of position out of economic necessity. This is where American society fits in. Nevertheless, she perseveres, gets her degree, and gets a job. She also raises her grandson to the precipice of manhood.

Finally, she finds a new relationship, one that seems to have a lot of promise. But, ultimately, this one fails as well, as her husband cheats on her. It is a slow growth process for her, but eventually she seems to understand that she can only rely on herself. And that in order to do so, she must make wise choices and act responsibly. It is a long journey, but one she eventually seems to finish.

It is also a comment on society. Women in this country face a lot of unnecessary obstacles and dangers, mainly from men. Perhaps if we recognize this, we can begin to change it.