Stolen is about a detective who had to deal with the loss of his own son while he was tasked to solve the case of a mummified remain of a kid that was found in a box uncovered after being buried for 50 years. It presents the two cases of kidnapping in a way that wouldn’t confuse the viewers.
It was ten years ago when Tom Adkins Sr. (Jon Hamm) lost his son Tom Jr. (Ty Panitz) at a diner. He felt guilty about it and his inability to give up the search for his missing son. Because of his constant absence and guilt, his marriage with Barbara (Rhona Mitra) has suffered and on the brink of divorce.
50 years ago, a young father Matthew Wakefield (Josh Lucas) lost everything, including his home. His wife couldn’t handle the pressure and committed suicide, leaving him to take care of their three kids. He decided to leave his kids with relatives but they would only take the normal ones. They said that John (Jimmy Bennett) would just be a liability because he’s mentally challenged. So Matthew had to find a space for the two of them and started to work at a construction site.
Matthew became friends with Diploma (James Van Der Beek) and Swede (Holt McCallany) and got in an affair. It was during this time when John was abducted. At this point, Stolen jumped back to the present where the body in a box was proven to be that of John Wakefield.
The similarities of the two cases made Tom Sr. more driven to uncover the truth behind the murder of the Wakefield boy. He hoped that the disappearance 50 years ago would lead him to the kidnapper of his son.
And as it turned out, the case of John Wakefield and his son were connected. Dawson did it. As Tom Sr. closed both cases, he was able to come to the realization that he lost his son forever. He also made up with his wife.
The characters in Stolen were well developed and the actors did a solid job with their acting. Jon Hamm and Josh Lucas were perfect as tormented fathers. The two stories were smartly weaved together and didn’t feel forced. It is a good, well-written movie even if the ending felt a bit rushed.
