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About
Los Angeles, 1928. When single mother Christine Collins leaves for work, her son vanishes without a trace. Five months later, the police reunite mother and son. But when Christine suspects that the boy returned to her isn't her child, her quest for truth exposes a world of corruption.
Theatrical
Oct 31, 2008
Box Office
$113.4M
Budget
$55.0M
Return
2.1x
DVD / Blu-ray
Feb 17, 2009
Director
Clint Eastwood
Producers
Ron Howard, Robert Lorenz, Brian Grazer
Music
Clint Eastwood
Studio
Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Relativity Media, Malpaso Productions
Themes
biography
clergyman
based on true story
child in peril
police corruption
los angeles, california
single mother
street urchin
missing child
mental asylum
mental hospital
shock treatment
1920s
missing son
mother son relationship
desperate woman
disbelieving cop
child abduction
telephone switchboard operator
female hysteria
police coverup
apathetic
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Quotes
See all →Denial of Responsibility and Consequences
Northcott
Thirteen steps. Thirteen steps. But I didn't touch them all, you bastards. I didn't touch them all. I didn't touch them all.
A Mother's Search for Hope and Closure
Briegleb
Your son would want you to move on.
Christine
Maybe. Maybe he'd want me to keep looking for him. Maybe he's somewhere waiting for me.
Briegleb
I believe he is waiting, ma'am. He's waiting in that place where we'll all go someday to be reunited with our loved ones. And on that day, he'll know from front to back, end to end, heart to soul, that you did everything you could, Mrs. Collins. Everything.
Abuse of Authority in Mental Health Care
Jones
It was because of her disturbing behavior that I submitted her for observation to the psychopathic ward of Los Angeles County General Hospital.
Hahn
Just like that. You snap your fingers and an innocent woman is thrown into the psycho ward!
Jones
She wasn't thrown.
Hahn
Every family in this state is in grave danger when a police captain can take a woman into his office and five minutes later have her thrown into the psychopathic ward on his own authority!
Jones
She wasn't thrown. She wasn't thrown! She wasn't thrown!
[against the crowd]
Hahn
What was that, Captain?
Jones
She wasn't thrown. She was escorted.
Hahn
Escorted, thrown, the verb doesn't matter, Captain. What does matter, is that her incarceration was ordered without a warrant. I am holding a carbon copy of the affidavit of insanity that was issued in the case of the State of California v. Christine Collins. Who signed the affidavit?
Mysterious Ways of the Lord
Briegleb
The Lord works in mysterious ways, Mrs. Collins.
Collins
Boy, does he ever.
Cast
Full credits →
Angelina Jolie
Christine Collins
J
John Malkovich
Rev. Gustav Briegleb
J
Jeffrey Donovan
Captain J.J. Jones
M
Michael Kelly
Detective Lester Ybarra
C
Colm Feore
Chief James E. Davis
J
Jason Butler Harner
Gordon Northcott
A
Amy Ryan
Carol Dexter
G
Geoff Pierson
S.S. Hahn
D
Denis O'Hare
Dr. Jonathan Steele
F
Frank Wood
Ben Harris
P
Peter Gerety
Dr. Earl W. Tarr
R
Reed Birney
Mayor Cryer
G
Gattlin Griffith
Walter Collins
M
Michelle Gunn
Sandy
J
Jan Devereaux
Operator
E
Erica Grant
Operator
K
Kerri Randles
Operator
M
Morgan Eastwood
Girl on Tricycle
M
Madison Hodges
Neighborhood Girl
R
Ric Sarabia
Man at Diner
