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The Forgotten

  • 2004
  • PG-13
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
70K
YOUR RATING
Julianne Moore and Gary Sinise in The Forgotten (2004)
Trailer
Play trailer2:25
7 Videos
70 Photos
Alien InvasionSuspense MysteryDramaMysterySci-FiThriller

After being told that their children never existed, a man and woman soon discover there is a much bigger enemy at work.After being told that their children never existed, a man and woman soon discover there is a much bigger enemy at work.After being told that their children never existed, a man and woman soon discover there is a much bigger enemy at work.

  • Director
    • Joseph Ruben
  • Writer
    • Gerald Di Pego
  • Stars
    • Julianne Moore
    • Dominic West
    • Christopher Kovaleski
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.8/10
    70K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Joseph Ruben
    • Writer
      • Gerald Di Pego
    • Stars
      • Julianne Moore
      • Dominic West
      • Christopher Kovaleski
    • 481User reviews
    • 154Critic reviews
    • 43Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 nominations total

    Videos7

    The Forgotten
    Trailer 2:25
    The Forgotten
    The Forgotten
    Trailer 2:30
    The Forgotten
    The Forgotten
    Trailer 2:30
    The Forgotten
    The Forgotten Scene: Why Did You Change The Picture?
    Clip 1:09
    The Forgotten Scene: Why Did You Change The Picture?
    Forgotten Scene: They're Listening The
    Clip 1:09
    Forgotten Scene: They're Listening The
    The Forgotten Scene: I Need You To Believe Me
    Clip 0:55
    The Forgotten Scene: I Need You To Believe Me
    The Forgotten Scene: I Remember
    Clip 0:51
    The Forgotten Scene: I Remember

    Photos70

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    + 64
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    Top cast30

    Edit
    Julianne Moore
    Julianne Moore
    • Telly
    Dominic West
    Dominic West
    • Ash
    Christopher Kovaleski
    • Sam
    Matthew Pleszewicz
    • Sam at 5
    Anthony Edwards
    Anthony Edwards
    • Jim
    Jessica Hecht
    Jessica Hecht
    • Eliot
    Linus Roache
    Linus Roache
    • A Friendly Man
    Gary Sinise
    Gary Sinise
    • Dr. Jack Munce
    Katie Cooper
    • Library Clerk
    Scott Nicholson
    Scott Nicholson
    • Cop
    P.J. Morrison
    • Cop
    • (as PJ Morrison)
    Robert Wisdom
    Robert Wisdom
    • Carl Dayton
    Tim Kang
    Tim Kang
    • Agent Alec Wong
    Kathryn Faughnan
    • Lauren
    Alfre Woodard
    Alfre Woodard
    • Anne Pope
    Felix Solis
    Felix Solis
    • Brasher
    Susan Misner
    Susan Misner
    • Agent Lisa Franks
    Lee Tergesen
    Lee Tergesen
    • Al Petalis
    • Director
      • Joseph Ruben
    • Writer
      • Gerald Di Pego
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews481

    5.870.2K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    7mjw2305

    Pretty Cool 'X Files' style movie

    Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore) is tormented by the memory of her 8 year old son after he died in a plane crash. Her therapist (Gary Sinise) is convinced that she is delusional and inventing these memories, but she is on a mission to find evidence that he did.

    Julianne Moore is typically convincing in the role, and she sells the frustration of her situation really well. The story is very intriguing and incorporates some seamless visuals that are used sparingly and too dramatic effect.

    Unfortunately the ending is little bit too Hollywood for me, but there is salvation in the alternate DVD ending, it's not perfect but certainly better.

    6/10 - 7/10 with the alternate ending
    6moonspinner55

    So many good ingredients, it's a pity the film isn't better...

    Screenwriter Gerald Di Pego comes up with an interesting new slant on a well-trodden movie idea: grieving woman is obsessed with the child she lost to a plane crash, and refuses to accept it when her husband, neighbor, and psychiatrist all tell her he never existed. Conspiracy thriller with science-fiction overtures steps a little bit into "Close Encounters" territory, but manages to hold the viewer with strong individual scenes and a lovely, matter-of-fact lead performance by Julianne Moore. However, the editing goes slack by the film's midsection, with Moore constantly on the run and Di Pego's script scrambling to explain itself whilst keeping the audience in suspense. It's a gambit which doesn't quite pay off. Supporting characters played by Anthony Edwards and Alfre Woodard are unceremoniously shafted, while the tepid final act (more running) leaves a bushel of unanswered questions and unrealized ideas behind. The chilly cinematography (grayish blues and whites) is artsy and distracting, and the overall result smacks of too many cooks. **1/2 from ****
    8UniqueParticle

    Under appreciated bizarre fun

    Yeah sure I'll be in the minority a lot of people bash The Forgotten not me it's the perfect amount of weird! The kind of movie that makes me wanna say wtf in a good way; definitely some X-Files Esq. Julianne Moore did an extraordinary performance! Oh man the alternate ending is effed up the way it should've been.
    6arthur_tafero

    Better Than Average Sci-Fi - The Forgotten

    This is better than average sci-fi, with a nice serving of mystery thrown in the pot as well. Add ingredients like good actress Julianne Moore (who is always hot), and a decent supporting cast, good special effects; and any parent who is sympathetic to having their child kidnapped (all of us?), and you have a guaranteed success. The pacing of this film is very interesting. It starts very slowly; and some may actually tune out before the plot unravels. Be patient. It does speed up. Better to have a film speed up in the middle until the end, rather than the other way around. There are enough duds that start off with a bang, and then leave us grasping for straws. This is not one of them. See it. And no, it is not really an X-Files or Twilight Zone episode; it can stand on its own.
    7suspiria10

    "I believe", Scully...

    Telly Paretta is seeing a shrink as therapy for losing her son in a plane crash, only she never had a son but is convinced she had. All the people in her life don't remember Sam including her husband. When she confronts the alcoholic fathers of another child from the flight they set out to discover the truth and the truth is "out there".

    Part X-Files and part Lifetime movie of the week, "The Forgotten" seems to really channel Chris Carter's hit TV show, look it even has a redhead. The story is interesting and Julianne Moore's performance is sincere but you can't help but think that something is missing. The clever twist is good but they could have easily expanded the storyline and made it more "something".

    Good but not great, "The Forgotten" seems to lack its own identity due to the derivative nature of the storyline which needed a bit of assistance from Fox Mulder.

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    Related interests

    Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in Men in Black (1997)
    Alien Invasion
    James Stewart in Rear Window (1954)
    Suspense Mystery
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After Julianne Moore runs through a grocery store and an alley, she stops in front of white graffiti on a wall. It's the logo of Revolution Studios, which produced the movie.
    • Goofs
      When Ash and Telly enter the Long Island house it is daylight, but as they go through the house it is night (Ash is in the dining room with a lantern and there is complete blackness in the windows).
    • Quotes

      Telly Paretta: Do you get drunk every night?

      Ash Correll: No. Sometimes I'm drunk by noon.

    • Alternate versions
      The movie has two endings; one for the theatrical release, and an alternate version included in the movie's DVD. In the first, after a brief dialogue with Telly, the man creates an illusion of Sam which Telly chases through the hangar, and then confronts her again. He reveals that the purpose of the experiment is not to investigate the children, but rather the bond that exists between a parent and child, and that he believes it can be broken. He admits, however, that the experiment has so far produced no positive results with regards to Telly, and that it will fail soon if she doesn't forget, and he will be responsible for that failure. However, despite him revealing himself as an alien and almost succeeding by stealing the memory of Sam's birth, Telly can still remember her son, and he is whisked away by an unseen force, presumably to face the consequences of failure. Reality is restored to normal, and Telly is the only one who can remember the events that transpired. The alternate version is very similar, except that Telly is faced with a facsimile of Sam's room. She tries to force her way in, but cannot reach Sam. The alien scientist tries to convince her to forget Sam, but fails. He then accepts that the experiment has failed, and explains that she will be the only one who remembers what transpired there. Reality is again restored to normal.
    • Connections
      Featured in Remembering 'the Forgotten' (2005)

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    FAQ20

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 24, 2004 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sony
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Misteriosa Obsesión
    • Filming locations
      • Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA(Park scenes)
    • Production companies
      • Revolution Studios
      • Jinks/Cohen Company
      • Visual Arts Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $42,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $67,133,509
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $21,022,111
      • Sep 26, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $117,592,831
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 31m(91 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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