This political thriller has its origins in an actual event – the disappearance of a young American writer and filmmaker, Charles Horman (John Shea), during a South American military coup. Jack Lemmon stars as Charles' father, Ed Horman, a prominent New York businessman, who comes to the aid of Charles' wife, Beth (Sissy Spacek), in her desperate search for her missing husband. They are led in circles, up blind alleys and are confronted with lies and false hopes from both U.S. and foreign officials. But they frantically trudge on together, overcoming their past differences until the painful, shattering conclusion.

Missing is a 1982 American drama film directed by Costa-Gavras, starring Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Mayron, John Shea, and Charles Cioffi. It is based on the true story of American journalist Charles Horman, who disappeared in the bloody aftermath of the US-backed Chilean coup of 1973 that deposed the democratically elected socialist President Salvador Allende. The film was jointly awarded the Palme d'Or (with Yol) at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.