Benjamin Bratt, Charlie Hunnam, Fred Ward

Catherine Burke is under pressure. She faces exams, completion of her thesis, and a competitive interview process, all of which is compounded when a police detective, Wade Handler, begins investigatin...( read more  read more... )g the two year-old disappearance of her boyfriend, Embry Langan, a young man whose memory haunts and obsesses her. As the investigation continues, Catherine is forced to choose between past passions and new possibilities, even as Handler is discovering surprising new facts about Embry and his possible connection to another disappearance from campus.

Flixster Users

40% liked it

2,931 ratings

Critics

17% liked it

108 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 39 min.

Directed by: Stephen Gaghan

Release Date: October 18, 2002

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DVD Release Date: March 18, 2003

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Flixster Reviews (469)


  • May 18, 2007
    Kind of like a sister movie to The Glass House, in that it's a thriller that doesn't do much thrilling...or much of anything, really. Abandon's a pretty simple movie. Where it has a good main character in Katie Holmes and a tight grasp on tone (both of which The Glass House lacke...( read more)d), it also is infuriatingly predictable and implausible. I had the big twist figured out in the first 40 minutes.

    The movie tries to justify what happens with really cheap dime-store psychology, but I'm not buying it. It's at least subtle about the roots of its plot, but you'd have to suspend a hell of a lot of disbelief to meet the movie where it stands. To be honest, I wouldn't really recommend this, even though the first half hour is really good. It just doesn't have what it takes to capitalize on the strengths of that first act; the movie doesn't "springboard" into action right. A lot of the times we see things that don't help at all. If we learned more about the characters, and if certain completely unnecessary subplots were written out, Abandon would have a great deal more potential. It's really too bad that this is even a thriller.

    I think the movie is most effective in teaching us that intellectuals are irredeemable assholes. Don't be friends with people like Embry. They're much happier with themselves.
  • December 23, 2006
    This was a great movie and I had no idea what it was lleading to, and I found it excellent.
  • April 29, 2009
    Katie Holmes trying to rid herself of her good girl image was unsuccessful in this film. It's not that her performance wasn't believable, she actually came across as a regular every-day college girl in this film, its just that this movie was kind of dull, and therefore not too ma...( read more)ny people would get the chance to see her playing against type.
  • March 12, 2006
    Not very memorable. You might also like Swimfan.
  • October 6, 2009
    L'ambitieuse Katie (est-ce qu'elle peut jouer autre chose d'une fille ambitieuse?) est-elle folle? Non, elle a l'air si normale! Quoi, omg! c'est pas possible! Regardez-le pour comprendre! Et Charlie Hunnam, y est hot mais c'est comme juste une sosie de Chad Michael Murray...
  • September 10, 2009
    I have seen this film, I own this film, I remember nothing about this film... not a good sign really?
  • September 7, 2009
    Really thought this movie was going to be good considering the plot. It was just OK.
  • June 3, 2009
    i love charlie hunnam so hot but she killed him how can u can someone that hot its just not right
  • May 12, 2009
    twists are always a plus...but what a terrible movie...
  • April 24, 2009
    Pretty crazy movie - Katie Holmes is insane in this one if I remember correctly...

Critic Reviews


October 25, 2002
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

It's a bad sign in a thriller when you instantly know whodunit. full review

October 18, 2002
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The movie finally did not satisfy me, and so I cannot recommend it, but there is a lot to praise, beginning with Katie Holmes' performance. full review

October 18, 2002
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

It can't make up its mind whether it's a serious drama, a swoony romance, or a psychological thriller. full review

View more Abandon reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Abandon Trivia


  • Which actress was originally cast as [b]Catwoman[/b] in Tim Burton's [b]Batman Returns[/b], but had to abandon the part due to pregnancy? (the part was later given to [i]Michelle Pfeiffer[/i])  Answer »
  • who was the main character in the movie Abandon?  Answer »
  • What actor did Katie Holmes kill and then believe she was seeing around campus in Abandon?  Answer »
  • She had to abandon what she knew and play a plastic  Answer »

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