The first American film by Costa-Gavras.

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 difference until the painful, shattering conclusion.