Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Fnday November 28 2003 — CS a i SHERMANS LAGOON Ron Howard’s ‘Missing’ HOUCANimP YOO WOMAN? an unfortunate misfire By Ben Nuckols Associated Press Writer "The Missing" is Ron Howard's attempt to' channel the "The Searchers" hut what he achieves in this Western kidnap thriller is closer to "The Elizabeth Smart Story": cloying and clunky with the outcome never in doubt Howard who won an Oscar for directing ' 200 1’s "A Beautiful Mind" brings nothing new or exciting to the genres he pixils together "The Missing" is contrived and obvious with a belabored relationship servi for as the a ing backdrop perfunctory rescue ' ' v'VY-mission' CATHY Z5b Off MD) HOT WimT HERE'S 50to Off r j mow looneT ofeTI (TEtOTToffT lather-daught- A er : - V $ o Movie review A ' APPhoto would take a far more inventive director than Howard to wrestle something interesting : ' Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blancliett pjay an out of Ken Kaufman's meager script adapted estranged father and daughter in Revolution ' Studios suspense thriller The Missing" ' "from Thomas Eidson's novel "The Last Ride" ' ' ' The story feels arbitrary giving us numerous the kidnapping and neither the local examples of how creepy the villain is but never during sheriff nor the Army offer any assistance — his as an at motivations even though hinting reducing her to ask of dad to help track the bad American Indian in 885 New Mexico he guys Howard w ill occasionally stop their jour-ne- y d scene with should have plenty A dead in its tracks for some forced "bond- Val Kilmer as an Army general makes the point ing" between father and daughter that the US government was doing horrible While Howard includes enough grisly ' things to Indians at that time and place but the images to get an R fating for violence he never villains are presented as simply evil apart from a true sense of danger We know there creates any social or historical context are lines that won't be crossed arid we know As the nasty mystic Chidin Eric Schweig who will live and who will die heroically and chews the scenery behind makeup that makes photogenically Howard telegraphs the story his face look scarred and pockmarked He's the with the help of a simplistic manipulative V Snidely Whiplash of Indians if he had a musscore by James Horner tache he would certainly twirl it The action ' Howard also avoids stirring any religious the when Chidin kidnaps begins teenage daughter l Evan Rachel Wood) of cattle rancher controversy' giving equal credence lo'Maggie Y Christian faith and the Indians' mysticism Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchctt) intending When Chidin gets a hold of Maggie's hairbrush to sell the girl into either marriage or prostitu- and uses the hair front it to hex her she's saved tion (U's never clear) in Mexico: Y Y ' by what may be history's first interfaith e'xtjr- Before the kidnapping Howard clumsily csmintroduces Maggie her boyfriend I Aaron Elk- -' Blanchctt is a force of nature but relatively' the her two (Jenna hart) Boyd plays daughters directors have taken advantage of her younger one Dot) arid her estranged father boundless energy Barry Txvinson in the Samuel Jones (Tommy Lee Jones) who gets a "Bandits was a notable except ' underrated ’chilly reception' when he shows up uninvited at Y tion) Maggie's homeTt seeriis Samuel abandoned Never an innovator Howard plays by the his family when Maggie was a girl to live with contemporary Hollywood rules that say female the Apaches ' action heroes can be just as indestructible --jFending for herself since childhood Maggie and uninteresting — as male ones has become something of a Jones provides a moment or twoof quiet ley-- 'Y swoman: rancher healer single mother devout " ity but frequently veers close to parixly The Christian and expert marksman She scrapes of ‘‘Scary Movie 4" wil) hardly he able writers out living for her daughters but Lily ' to contain themselves as they watch Jones the future kidnap victim isn't grateful: Pining " chanting Apache prayers But then rThc Miss for technology and city life she laments “f n£ likely won t be popular enough to spuiil - ’f was born into the wrong family I swear to God "The Missing a Columbia Pictures release ' I was!'' Y is rated R for violence Running time: 130 mfa-: Arewe fa the Old West or “The QC"? One and a half stars out of four' Maggie's boyfriend and hired hand are killed v utes It HS1 di t BEETLE BAILEY I PONT ' THINK YOU ' 1 UNPERSTANP THE ham-fiste- PEA OF H0U6HIN6 IT IN THE WOOPS I - : HAGAR THE HORRIBLE : 1 i IB? 'JERY 6000 &OoO ThlAT MEANO X GET A CANTY TREAT UKB YOU P&W&EPJ " I YOU WON'T I VHEOLB : CUTTINE : j ONCE - : : super-frontie-r- PEANUTS i - Y V :i ’l VTa: V : 'fit ' f'’ i vyv': - i Shoshone Trail : A novel by David J JHawkes ' i'"- ' fr£- 'Tfs r Y'Y" k- - MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM M FOXTROT JASON Come iN HERE TEU ME ASOUT ' YOUR DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS CHARACTERS AND AND DonT 6ENERAUZE EtTHER X WANT To HEAR EVERY LAST ' DETAIL X —So THEN USE TO MAKE VACATION DAYS DRAG ON AS LONG AS GOOD AFTER ALL THAT CALL tVC R0K oT P0SS4LE i: H1ENCHAN- TDON'T : I EVEN FIT MY ight as well be done with it she thought to herself Gathering her few possessions she pried the four remaining percussion caps from the revolver cylinder and placed them in the tin' With' the matches’ Giving thiein to Sam she said “Here put this in your pocket and keep them dry no matter whatY Gfavely he nodded his head and put them deep in his pants pocket Thert she wrapped the revolver in her buffalo robe pon1 cho arid secured it to the raft along with the leather bag containing the scraps of jerky aqd dried mooseWith a great amount of effort she pulled the heavy raft down into the water io her surprise ' it floated ‘‘Okay Sam hop on” Sarah said As Sam Scrambled aboard Sarah could see it still float- -' ed quite well Taking off her tattered shawl and skirL she wedged them under her poncho “Mania" Sam giggled “Are you goin' to get neck’d?” Y Y “No" Sarah answered with a smile “I just can't swim very well with so many clothes oh" Sam put his Anger in the water and shiv- ered “Mama you're goin' to freeze” “Just keep my dress dry so I can get into something warm when we get across” Sarah said as she picked up the short piece of' - REAL UFE ADVENTURES CLOSE TO HOME : rawhide she had saved to use as a tether for the ' lo thc other side of lhe river' 'raft Looking-oveSarah took adecp breath and stepped into the current ' ' At onec the icy water numbed her' legs The 'cold was so intense it almost' took her breath Slipping a bit on therocky bottom Siirah steadily waded across the ri verYpulling the raft behind her Soon the water was: up to her Waist : She was losing the feeling in her legs' but she kept- Wading knowing that ihe had to cross as possible ' “Keep goin' Mai” Surii's excited shout broke Sarah's concentration 'This is fun" " Now the cold river was up to her chest and the current was making it difficult to tow the raft Slipping the loop at the end of the rawhide rope over her wrist Sarah began using her arms to help make headway Stumbling-Sara'slipped into a deep spot and the icy water went over her head Kicking strongly and sw imming' best as she could she broke the surface gasping for air As she did she could see her son arid eyes large with fright sitting d on the raft' Swimming on herside Sarah tried to swim for the far shore but the current was too strong and it started to sweep her and the raft downstreairi 7 white-face- See tofriprrow's Herald Journal for ihe next installment of this story Win a bridgo By Phillip Alder One can usually look at a bridge topic from different directions!This is highlighted in “Understanding the Contested Auction” fay Andrew Kambites and Ron Klinger and “The Golden Rules of ' Competitive Auctions" by Marc Julian Pottage and Smith The first gives a basic grounding You learn about hand evaluation: methods of competing conventional aids and various other tactics The second book covers IS “rules” highlighting when they work and when they do not Best is to read both On this deal from the e-Smith tome you are South the declarer in three - - Pottag- diamonds The authors claim that it is “cold” do you agree? On the second round of the Y auction North should make a takeout double He has length in the three unhid suits When short in the opponents' suit strain to compete South removes to three dia- monds and that contract can be made West leads the heart queen East overtakes with the ace and shifts to a spade It looks normal to finesse playing the opening bidder for the king but here that costs the contract West takes the king returns a spade and soon receives a spade niff But if South is psychic he wins trick two with the spade ace and is safe Finally note that three hearts can be defeated but I'm out of space! ONEA2003 North A Q J V 7 3'" 1121-- ' Q 8 3 West A K KQlii Kant A 9 7 4 3 W A 10 9 A 9 j ¥ Q A 10 9 8 3 2 j5 10 3 2 A A 7 Sooth A V A 8 2 K 8 2 K J 7 6 4 J Dealer North Vulnerable: Both South West Pass 2 3 G Pass f North Pass DbL Pass East I V Pass Pass Opening lead: V Q |