An pretty simple but suspenseful thriller that to me is very similar to Flightplan but set in a hospital. It had an very hitchcock like vibe to it as the innocent Mary Walsh who is played by the lovely Brittany Murphy what is tragically her last role is accused of being crazy when she reports that her boyfriend of 4 years is missing from the hospital and finds out that they have no record of him being there. This was a pretty basic movie when it came to action and it was almost borderline lifetime movie of the week to me but it was very watchable and kind of kept me on the edge of my seat guessing why this was all happening to her and the twist which I kind of saw coming from a mile away was pretty messed up but still pretty standard though. The acting was mostly on the weaker side but Brittany Murphy's performances always has this charm to them but you can sadly tell that her state of health wasn't good in this movie and it looked like they tried to hide it by putting a lot of makeup on her but her hair looked greasy and crusty it was tragic to see. Overall it wasn't the best movie ever and I've seen it done better before but if you like Brittany Murphy you should check it out because she pretty much saves the movie from completely sucking but don't expect anything out of the ordinary. More of a 2.5 out of 5 stars.
73 Reviews
Good - would watch it again sometime.
shroyertour17 November 2010
Brittany Murphy had that something special. A certain look, an allure, a presence. As the French say, a certain something I don't know what. You see it in this movie. It's a drama/mystery/suspense flick that for some reason went direct to video.
Brittany drops off her boyfriend (Dean Cain) at the hospital for routine, out patient surgery. Except when she goes to pick him up, no one seems to know anything about him. He's not in the computer, his doctor is on vacation, and no one recognizes his nurse's name. Brittany gives a very good performance as the increasingly worried girl friend, seemingly losing the only man she has really connected with in a long time, or ever. Someone who has been there for her, and now, despite her best efforts, she can't be there for him. Peter Bogdanovich is also good as the creepy psychiatrist who suspects Brittany is suffering from a mental break down, a suspicion fueled by her current high dose anti-depressant meds and an unlikely story reeking of paranoia.
Supporting cast include Mimi Rogers as the clueless hospital administrator, Jay Pickett as the police detective with his own issues who is still good enough to follow the clues to the end, and Scott Anthony Leet as the intimidating security guard. Each give a competent performance that is credible.
The suspense is "edge of your seat" quality, and you can not be sure of the ending until it happens. Some (including me) might think it fairly obvious based on the plot clues, but that part is only the beginning of the twists.
As Brittany's final performance, this one is good enough to make you want to watch again sometime. Ultimately, it makes you wish she had longer to show us what she had.
Brittany drops off her boyfriend (Dean Cain) at the hospital for routine, out patient surgery. Except when she goes to pick him up, no one seems to know anything about him. He's not in the computer, his doctor is on vacation, and no one recognizes his nurse's name. Brittany gives a very good performance as the increasingly worried girl friend, seemingly losing the only man she has really connected with in a long time, or ever. Someone who has been there for her, and now, despite her best efforts, she can't be there for him. Peter Bogdanovich is also good as the creepy psychiatrist who suspects Brittany is suffering from a mental break down, a suspicion fueled by her current high dose anti-depressant meds and an unlikely story reeking of paranoia.
Supporting cast include Mimi Rogers as the clueless hospital administrator, Jay Pickett as the police detective with his own issues who is still good enough to follow the clues to the end, and Scott Anthony Leet as the intimidating security guard. Each give a competent performance that is credible.
The suspense is "edge of your seat" quality, and you can not be sure of the ending until it happens. Some (including me) might think it fairly obvious based on the plot clues, but that part is only the beginning of the twists.
As Brittany's final performance, this one is good enough to make you want to watch again sometime. Ultimately, it makes you wish she had longer to show us what she had.
A good send-off for Brittany Murphy
Joecool1-14 August 2010
Her real-life death was tragic. Also sad her last movie was direct-to-video. It's a decent-to-good movie, but retreads grounds covered by many movies in the same genre. If it had struck out on it's own and paved new ground, or tried harder to be original the film could have been a better send-off for Brittany's career. All credit to the actress for a fine performance, especially considering she was gravely ill. It's far from Heath Ledger as Joker, but given the material she does a pretty good job. Interesting to note that she looked ill throughout the movie and I don't think it was an intended look. At times she was ghastly, sunken face black rings around her eyes. According to Wikipedia she was severely anemic (losing blood) which explains her paleness and ghastly appearance. She was also suffering from pneumonia.
Dean Cain does a fine job of playing her mysterious boyfriend, able to play the good guy well and leave you wondering about his motivations because he has played villainous roles since his Superman days. Mimi Rogers plays the hospital administrator well making you wonder if she is part of a conspiracy or just doing her job. Overall, this is pretty much a mystery and thriller movie. The downside is once the mystery is revealed (and it is done a bit too soon in my opinion)then it begins to retread many movies of the same vein, once I saw the big "reveal" everything that came after was standard formula and very predictable.
The movie is nice as a rental but I advise you rent it and not blind-buy it. If you like what you see it's a nice movie to have in a collection, not a must-buy, but if you like Brittany Murphy and want to own her last screen appearance then I recommend getting this. Had she not died it still would have been a decent movie, not great but worthy of seeing and maybe owning. I liked her outing in Across The Hall (and having just looked it up the rating for that was a 6 too but thought that was better than this). Maybe this is knocked down to a 5 because of a lack of originality and the acting in the latter half of the movie. I won't be surprised if the fan rating is higher based on her death.
It's a decent movie, but been rehashed plenty of times before (notably a lot of Ashley Judd 90's movies). It starts out well and keeps a good mystery going until one point in the film where you knew where everything was heading down a very worn path made by much better films like Double Jeopardy. Maybe I am overrating it due to the actress's death, but I kinda liked the movie. Read my review here -
http://www.movie-vault.com/reviews/abandoned-bluray/
Dean Cain does a fine job of playing her mysterious boyfriend, able to play the good guy well and leave you wondering about his motivations because he has played villainous roles since his Superman days. Mimi Rogers plays the hospital administrator well making you wonder if she is part of a conspiracy or just doing her job. Overall, this is pretty much a mystery and thriller movie. The downside is once the mystery is revealed (and it is done a bit too soon in my opinion)then it begins to retread many movies of the same vein, once I saw the big "reveal" everything that came after was standard formula and very predictable.
The movie is nice as a rental but I advise you rent it and not blind-buy it. If you like what you see it's a nice movie to have in a collection, not a must-buy, but if you like Brittany Murphy and want to own her last screen appearance then I recommend getting this. Had she not died it still would have been a decent movie, not great but worthy of seeing and maybe owning. I liked her outing in Across The Hall (and having just looked it up the rating for that was a 6 too but thought that was better than this). Maybe this is knocked down to a 5 because of a lack of originality and the acting in the latter half of the movie. I won't be surprised if the fan rating is higher based on her death.
It's a decent movie, but been rehashed plenty of times before (notably a lot of Ashley Judd 90's movies). It starts out well and keeps a good mystery going until one point in the film where you knew where everything was heading down a very worn path made by much better films like Double Jeopardy. Maybe I am overrating it due to the actress's death, but I kinda liked the movie. Read my review here -
http://www.movie-vault.com/reviews/abandoned-bluray/
So Sorry Brittany
L8knight22 August 2010
They should have burned the work print out of respect for B.M! This "movie" gets my pick for worst movie I have seen in 2010. I'm sorry, I really liked Brittany and hate to see this as the last thing she put out before her tragic death. The acting, the writing, the story, the lighting, the continuity...everything is just pathetic. Its completely low budget, or at least the quality of the work is. Save yourself the 2 hours, you'd be better off watching grass grow.
*I only write reviews for really amazing movies or REALLY horrible movies. This is my first review in years, if that helps you judge how awful this was.
*I only write reviews for really amazing movies or REALLY horrible movies. This is my first review in years, if that helps you judge how awful this was.
Off the street actors?
sundale20 August 2010
I have never written a review on IMDb even though I view this site daily and have for 5 or 6 years. I'm not a movie snob; I'm like most people: I want to be entertained or made to think because of what I am viewing.
This movie could have been quite good. It isn't. Brittany M. was fine, but no one else was. The minor roles were cast with unknowns. Their acting was as poor as you'll find in a studio produced motion picture. This must have been done on a "shoe string" as everything about it appears cheaply done. You'll notice that the guns sound like cap guns.
Beyond its predictability, I think what bothered me most was the amateurish acting of everyone except Murphy and the Lieutenant; even Cain was poor. Was it poor direction and a bad script that created this serious flaw? I don't know. I do know that it sticks out like a sore thumb.
This movie could have been quite good. It isn't. Brittany M. was fine, but no one else was. The minor roles were cast with unknowns. Their acting was as poor as you'll find in a studio produced motion picture. This must have been done on a "shoe string" as everything about it appears cheaply done. You'll notice that the guns sound like cap guns.
Beyond its predictability, I think what bothered me most was the amateurish acting of everyone except Murphy and the Lieutenant; even Cain was poor. Was it poor direction and a bad script that created this serious flaw? I don't know. I do know that it sticks out like a sore thumb.
As bad as it gets
ChrisMichael8120 August 2010
I don't know if I should feel bad about what I'm about to say seeing as Mrs Murphy is dead but whatever. Simply put this movie was terrible. Everyone in the movie came off as being in the wrong place. There were a few actors that seemed like their acting skills would be best served in the adult entertainment industry. Brittany Murphy looked like she was about to die. Whoever did her hair should probably not work in films or be near anyone's hair again ,,, EVER. It was kinda hard to watch her. She reminded me of a skeleton with hair gel and huge artificial lips. So the story. A woman goes to the hospital with her boyfriend and she loses him and could not find him. Well that's pretty much it. I wouldn't even recommend renting this one. It makes no sense, it is not believable, the story, acting and everything else is beyond terrible.
Glad I stuck with it
lindasue-501338 February 2019
Both the storyline and the acting pick up as the movie goes on, thankfully. I gave it a seven which might be generous, because it would've been better had the movie kept the momentum throughout. There were a few times I was ready to give up early on, and I imagine others will be, but it's worth sticking with it.
Some of the acting was weak, but some of it gets better as the movie goes on, and the story starts to compensate.
Possibly the worst aspect of the movie was the main lead's make up. I have never seen ANYTHING so shockingly bad! (except Hush-hush Sweet Charlotte, but that was intentional and tied in with the character's persona). That make up crew (Simon Monjack, Claudia Londoño) ought to be fired. Seriously, I just could not take my eyes off her face for the entire movie because it was so appalling, and I was trying to figure out what on earth technique they were using that made it turn out so awful. Totally unprofessional.
Some of the acting was weak, but some of it gets better as the movie goes on, and the story starts to compensate.
Possibly the worst aspect of the movie was the main lead's make up. I have never seen ANYTHING so shockingly bad! (except Hush-hush Sweet Charlotte, but that was intentional and tied in with the character's persona). That make up crew (Simon Monjack, Claudia Londoño) ought to be fired. Seriously, I just could not take my eyes off her face for the entire movie because it was so appalling, and I was trying to figure out what on earth technique they were using that made it turn out so awful. Totally unprofessional.
Bad plot, bad acting.
mslius19 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
The story line is the WORST. I don't know how it can see the light of production. There are so many holes in the plot. There is no logic at all. First of all, when you make a wire transfer, it takes TIME for the money to actually transferring to the account. Second, if they just try to threaten her with her boyfriend's life into wiring them money, why do they have to do it in a hospital, where there are MANY potential witnesses. They could have just kidnapped him from their home. There are many others. I am just tired to point all them out.
The acting is terrible. The first second, she was pointing a gun at somebody, like a pro. The next second, she was gasping in shock, like a little school girl.
The story line is the WORST. I don't know how it can see the light of production. There are so many holes in the plot. There is no logic at all. First of all, when you make a wire transfer, it takes TIME for the money to actually transferring to the account. Second, if they just try to threaten her with her boyfriend's life into wiring them money, why do they have to do it in a hospital, where there are MANY potential witnesses. They could have just kidnapped him from their home. There are many others. I am just tired to point all them out.
The acting is terrible. The first second, she was pointing a gun at somebody, like a pro. The next second, she was gasping in shock, like a little school girl.
Good plot!
peaches-dl15 January 2012
Although this film has not had the best of reviews, I decided to watch it for myself. I'm glad with my decision, as I was glued to the screen from start to finish and would say that it was not the disappointment as previous viewers had hinted.
I will admit that after a short while it was easy to guess what was going on with the plot, but even so I was still rather pleasantly surprised with the couple of twists that lay in store for me. I'm not convinced that some of the supporting cast were that great, particularly Scott Anthony Leet who I felt was rather 'wooden'. However, the main characters certainly got my vote.
It's rather sad that we wont be seeing any more of Brittany Murphy.
I will admit that after a short while it was easy to guess what was going on with the plot, but even so I was still rather pleasantly surprised with the couple of twists that lay in store for me. I'm not convinced that some of the supporting cast were that great, particularly Scott Anthony Leet who I felt was rather 'wooden'. However, the main characters certainly got my vote.
It's rather sad that we wont be seeing any more of Brittany Murphy.
Meh
porkchopis211 March 2021
I stumbled across this Brittany Murphy film that I have somehow managed to miss and was excited to see it. During the entire movie though I kept getting hooked on things that distracted from the plot.
Brittany Murphy looks horrible in this film and I don't know why they couldn't have done better by her. Her hair looks filthy, greasy and dead. The make up she wears doesn't cover the bags under her eyes, and her lipstick seems to bleed into the corners of her mouth. Additionally, her eyebrows are so caked in foundation make up that you can't miss it.
The plot is not bad, a fairly good thriller with the requisite twists and turns although no research seems to have been done on the workings of a hospital OR how anti-depressants work.
All told, although the idea of the plot was alright, and the acting wasn't bad the rest of it was sloppy, and a bit insulting.
Abandon the idea of seeing this movie - it's horrible
PhantomAgony3 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
*NO SPOILERS UNTIL VERY END - CLEARLY MARKED*
As a fan of Brittany Murphy it truly saddens me that Abandoned turned out to be her last film due to the fact that it is a complete mess filled with nonsense. This movie is very low budget and the acting is debatable at best but I am willing to overlook all of that if the plot is interesting and there is a good payoff in the end, something necessary in every basic mystery thriller with a twist. I don't hate Abandoned because it was cheaply made - not every film has the luxury of having a big budget or access to well known actors - I hate it simply because it's awful.
Mary (Murphy) and her boyfriend Kevin (Dean Cain) go to the hospital so he can have outpatient orthopedic surgery. The procedure is supposed to last an hour so after spending some time with him in his hospital room as he fills out paperwork, she leaves to wait until he is finished. After hours and no sign of her boyfriend, she starts asking around and shockingly there is no sign of him anywhere; he isn't in the system and no nurses have heard of him. The Dr. that was supposedly doing his surgery wasn't working that day and the nurse, Amanda, that Mary saw with Kevin that morning didn't exist.
What happened to her boyfriend? Does he even exist? Is Mary crazy and making the whole thing up? After a massive search for Kevin turns up nothing and some anti-depressant pills fall out of Mary's purse, people start to suspect that she's unstable which leads to Mary having to prove that she isn't delusional and that Kevin was with her that morning and really disappeared.
Of course there is your basic twist that explains what is really going on and honestly, it's nothing everyone hasn't seen before. It's a mystery/thriller by numbers and the action scenes at the end leave a LOT to be desired. It was a bad sign when I realized that I didn't care at all what happened to the boyfriend half way through. I found the film to be somewhat boring & I had no connection with any of the characters.
One thing I must comment on is Brittany Murphy's hair/makeup in Abandoned. It was distractingly awful and it has nothing to do with how sick she may or may not have been while shooting this film (I am pretty sure she didn't become ill until after) - it has to do with the colors and styling used. Her hair looked like someone put in brillo pad/horse hair like extensions and then crimped them a little and then greased it all down. It looked like her hair hadn't been washed in a month and was also oddly stiff as if it wouldn't move an inch even in a wind storm. The color was beyond atrocious - some weird cat pee orange/yellow color with dark roots and I don't know what happened to her eyebrows but they were odd as well in color. Were they bleached? Was powder brushed over them? I don't even know. The makeup shades were awful, especially the 80's style blush and lipstick. I read that her husband did her makeup but she must have approved it before shooting which is something I just don't understand.
3/10 - Bad acting (Brittany Murphy & Jay Picket are the exceptions), low budget look and awful awful plot and execution. My 2 biggest gripes below.
***************SPOILERS***********
There was a lot of stupid nonsense in this movie but the 2 worst were:
1) The main reason why I rated this film so low was the asinine plot point with the cop/book that was contingent on him saving the day in the end. The movie wants me to believe that it's plausible that he would take Mary's book, quickly flip through it and instantly flip right to the page that just so happens to map out the boyfriend's scheme which clued the cop in and sent him running back to the hospital to rescue Mary. Seriously? I have seen some ridiculous moments in movies but this was easily a Top 10. How many pages was that book? 200 something easy and he flips right to the exact one with the plot that magically was all written on one page for quick, easy reading, reads it and connects the dots. Pathetic.
2) A call goes out that 3 armed suspects in a grey sedan are entering the hospital over the police radio. Super cop shows up, rams a lady in a gray sedan, yanks her out of the car and throws her in the back of his cop car. Huh? No make or model was included in the report so how did Super cop know that the woman was apart of the money scheme? Grey sedans are very popular. She surely didn't have the 2 other suspects with her and wasn't seen carrying a weapon to the point where he would have seen it through the windows of the car. Of course the woman was Amanda and was one of the bad people but still, the way he just grabbed her was ridiculous.
As a fan of Brittany Murphy it truly saddens me that Abandoned turned out to be her last film due to the fact that it is a complete mess filled with nonsense. This movie is very low budget and the acting is debatable at best but I am willing to overlook all of that if the plot is interesting and there is a good payoff in the end, something necessary in every basic mystery thriller with a twist. I don't hate Abandoned because it was cheaply made - not every film has the luxury of having a big budget or access to well known actors - I hate it simply because it's awful.
Mary (Murphy) and her boyfriend Kevin (Dean Cain) go to the hospital so he can have outpatient orthopedic surgery. The procedure is supposed to last an hour so after spending some time with him in his hospital room as he fills out paperwork, she leaves to wait until he is finished. After hours and no sign of her boyfriend, she starts asking around and shockingly there is no sign of him anywhere; he isn't in the system and no nurses have heard of him. The Dr. that was supposedly doing his surgery wasn't working that day and the nurse, Amanda, that Mary saw with Kevin that morning didn't exist.
What happened to her boyfriend? Does he even exist? Is Mary crazy and making the whole thing up? After a massive search for Kevin turns up nothing and some anti-depressant pills fall out of Mary's purse, people start to suspect that she's unstable which leads to Mary having to prove that she isn't delusional and that Kevin was with her that morning and really disappeared.
Of course there is your basic twist that explains what is really going on and honestly, it's nothing everyone hasn't seen before. It's a mystery/thriller by numbers and the action scenes at the end leave a LOT to be desired. It was a bad sign when I realized that I didn't care at all what happened to the boyfriend half way through. I found the film to be somewhat boring & I had no connection with any of the characters.
One thing I must comment on is Brittany Murphy's hair/makeup in Abandoned. It was distractingly awful and it has nothing to do with how sick she may or may not have been while shooting this film (I am pretty sure she didn't become ill until after) - it has to do with the colors and styling used. Her hair looked like someone put in brillo pad/horse hair like extensions and then crimped them a little and then greased it all down. It looked like her hair hadn't been washed in a month and was also oddly stiff as if it wouldn't move an inch even in a wind storm. The color was beyond atrocious - some weird cat pee orange/yellow color with dark roots and I don't know what happened to her eyebrows but they were odd as well in color. Were they bleached? Was powder brushed over them? I don't even know. The makeup shades were awful, especially the 80's style blush and lipstick. I read that her husband did her makeup but she must have approved it before shooting which is something I just don't understand.
3/10 - Bad acting (Brittany Murphy & Jay Picket are the exceptions), low budget look and awful awful plot and execution. My 2 biggest gripes below.
***************SPOILERS***********
There was a lot of stupid nonsense in this movie but the 2 worst were:
1) The main reason why I rated this film so low was the asinine plot point with the cop/book that was contingent on him saving the day in the end. The movie wants me to believe that it's plausible that he would take Mary's book, quickly flip through it and instantly flip right to the page that just so happens to map out the boyfriend's scheme which clued the cop in and sent him running back to the hospital to rescue Mary. Seriously? I have seen some ridiculous moments in movies but this was easily a Top 10. How many pages was that book? 200 something easy and he flips right to the exact one with the plot that magically was all written on one page for quick, easy reading, reads it and connects the dots. Pathetic.
2) A call goes out that 3 armed suspects in a grey sedan are entering the hospital over the police radio. Super cop shows up, rams a lady in a gray sedan, yanks her out of the car and throws her in the back of his cop car. Huh? No make or model was included in the report so how did Super cop know that the woman was apart of the money scheme? Grey sedans are very popular. She surely didn't have the 2 other suspects with her and wasn't seen carrying a weapon to the point where he would have seen it through the windows of the car. Of course the woman was Amanda and was one of the bad people but still, the way he just grabbed her was ridiculous.
Surprisingly taut thriller
Filmlvr201026 August 2010
I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for this film, so I didn't know what to expect. But it was a surprisingly good thriller and is well worth the rental. The late Brittany Murphy turns in a riveting performance as a possibly emotionally disturbed woman whose boyfriend may or may not have been abducted from a hospital during a routine appointment. The screenplay and direction did a good job keeping me guessing the whole time... and there are plenty of interesting suspects including Mimi Rogers as the hospital administrator and Peter Bogdanovich as a skeptical psychiatrist. The action-packed climax is a little over the top, but by the time Brittany turns the tables on her tormentors, you'll be rooting for her all the way. If you liked Flightplan or Shutter Island, you'll like this!!
She Existed
sarahmillyhannah12 April 2012
Brittany Murphy existed in this. Her performance was great and the film isn't a bad film although it has been done too many times to stand out from the crowd. Its very cliché and been done so many times. From the off the film has you gripped and carries you along with enough intrigue to keep you watching. But what is distracting is the state of Brittany Murphy's health. Yes we all know this is her last film but you really need to watch this movie to know why. She is underweight, pale, sunken eyes and really bad lank hair. Why she wasn't in hospital instead of making this movie i will never know. Such a shame as she was really great in spite of her health problems in this film. Some things simply cannot be hidden by make up. RIP Brittany x
A mildly interesting idea ruined by cheap and lazy production
dan-mccrum-898-31354815 November 2010
There is a germ of a good idea in this film, playing to the common fear of hospitals and the lack of control one feels in the hands of doctors and administrators.
But the production values are so cheap and direction unimaginative that it would be embarrassing quality for TV. Aside from Ms Murphy (for we shall not speak ill of the dead) the acting is almost universally terrible.
The entire thing appears to be shot in a few rooms, stairwells and a parking garage with one camera, while odd music plays constantly in an effort to generate tension that a script riddled with implausible dialog cannot. Utter waste of time.
But the production values are so cheap and direction unimaginative that it would be embarrassing quality for TV. Aside from Ms Murphy (for we shall not speak ill of the dead) the acting is almost universally terrible.
The entire thing appears to be shot in a few rooms, stairwells and a parking garage with one camera, while odd music plays constantly in an effort to generate tension that a script riddled with implausible dialog cannot. Utter waste of time.
Worst movie I have ever watched
macsasser30 August 2011
This movie should have never left editing. It is absolutely horrible! My wife and I tried to watch this twice before actually finishing it.
The acting is horrible. The casting was brutal. The psychologist was so boring I had to refrain from FForwading every time he was on the screen. The cop had a facial tick. Brit was in rough shape with horrible makeup and hair. This movie must have had the budget of Blair Witch without any of the success! Do not watch this movie, you will never get that wasted time back!
If you have rented it or own a copy, please destroy it so that we can save mankind from this garbage!
The acting is horrible. The casting was brutal. The psychologist was so boring I had to refrain from FForwading every time he was on the screen. The cop had a facial tick. Brit was in rough shape with horrible makeup and hair. This movie must have had the budget of Blair Witch without any of the success! Do not watch this movie, you will never get that wasted time back!
If you have rented it or own a copy, please destroy it so that we can save mankind from this garbage!
Watch it for Murphy, but not for the plot
burgerman9328 June 2022
This was Brittany Murphy's last film, she's quite elegant and captivating on the screen (I enjoyed her voice work on King of the Hill as well). It's a very weak movie overall; aside from Murphy and Pickett, the actors were deers in the headlight. I feel that if they incorporated the best friend character more (whether that friend was part of the conspiracy or if she worked to help get Mary out of the hospital) it would have helped keep things exciting.
There's honestly no reason the character should be placed on a 72 hour psychiatric hold, no hospital staff member established that she is a danger to herself or others. Being on anti-depressant medication seems insufficient to place someone on a psych hold.
RIP Brittany Murphy and Jay Pickett.
There's honestly no reason the character should be placed on a 72 hour psychiatric hold, no hospital staff member established that she is a danger to herself or others. Being on anti-depressant medication seems insufficient to place someone on a psych hold.
RIP Brittany Murphy and Jay Pickett.
Terrible Made for TV Type Movie
reyna-7385528 December 2020
I thought I would check this out as I really enjoyed Brittany Murphy's previous films and was also intrigued that Mimi Rogers and Dean Cain were in this. Regrettably this was an all-around terrible movie. It saddens me that this was Murphy's last role.
Avoid this movie unless you are in the mood for an unplanned comedy.
The Last Chapter
claudio_carvalho6 June 2010
In Los Angeles, the manager of bank Mary Walsh (Brittany Murphy) brings her boyfriend Kevin Peterson (Dean Cain) to the County Memorial Hospital for an orthopedic surgery of ligaments of his left knee with Dr. Harding. Mary is a needy woman that has just lost her mother ago and started a relationship with Kevin four months ago. Mary meets Kevin still wearing his brace on the left leg in the preparation room of the hospital that is going to shut down and the nurse Amanda asks her to move to the waiting room. When Mary seeks information about the surgery, she finds that there is no record of Kevin in the system and he has vanished. Further, Dr. Harding is on vacation and there is no nurse Amanda in the staff. She calls the police and Detective Franklin (Jay Pickett) that is in a routine check-up in the hospital is assigned to the case. No one believes in Mary and when she accidentally drops her anti-depressive pills on the floor, she is sent to psychological evaluation with Dr. Markus Bensley (Peter Bogdanovich) that diagnoses her as unstable and delusional woman. Mary flees from his office and seeks out Kevin alone disclosing the truth about her prince charming.
"Abandoned" is the last chapter of Kevin's book; and also the last chapter of the life of the promising actress Brittany Murphy. The implausible plot is entertaining despite the flaws and incoherences. How could an unstable woman have the authority to handle large amounts in her bank? Further, if she is so powerful how could she have such stupid attitudes in the hospital? In her situation, she would immediately call her lawyer to handle the situation with the hospital administration and the police. The hair of Brittany Murphy is awful and she looks very tired in this film. The former Superman is out of shape and very fat and the ham actor Peter Bogdanovich is terrible in the role of an incompetent psychologist. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Busca Alucinante" ("Alucinating Chase")
"Abandoned" is the last chapter of Kevin's book; and also the last chapter of the life of the promising actress Brittany Murphy. The implausible plot is entertaining despite the flaws and incoherences. How could an unstable woman have the authority to handle large amounts in her bank? Further, if she is so powerful how could she have such stupid attitudes in the hospital? In her situation, she would immediately call her lawyer to handle the situation with the hospital administration and the police. The hair of Brittany Murphy is awful and she looks very tired in this film. The former Superman is out of shape and very fat and the ham actor Peter Bogdanovich is terrible in the role of an incompetent psychologist. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Busca Alucinante" ("Alucinating Chase")
The Logic Vanishes
wes-connors12 July 2014
Los Angeles bank manager Brittany Murphy (as Mary Walsh) accompanies her boyfriend to the hospital. They have been dating for only four months, but it looks like a convergence of soul-mates. Hobbling in on a crutch, stocky insurance salesman Dean Cain (as Kevin Peterson) is there to have an operation on his knee. Promising to wait, Ms. Murphy goes to the hospital cafeteria for some coffee and spends some additional time in the waiting room. When she receives no update, Murphy begins inquiring about Mr. Cain's status. She is startled to discover nobody at the hospital has heard of Cain or his operation – in fact, he appears to have disappeared. Murphy wants to file a missing persons report, but twitchy police officer Jay Pickett (as Franklin) has to wait 24 hours. He and the staff try to find Cain, but begin to wonder if Murphy may be crazy...
Murphy's hair looks like it hasn't been washed in weeks; also, there a distinct line showing her darker roots. On top of this most obvious trait, she often appears unwell, hiding a gaunt face under sometimes ghastly make-up and a lip poof. Despite all of this, we are supposed to believe Murphy is a "high-powered career woman" who is trusted to manage $10 million deals. No wonder Mimi Rogers and Peter Bogdanovich act suspicious. Perhaps Murphy needed more time to recover from cosmetic surgery. Possibly, everyone was on schedule and had to finish the movie by a target date. Years ago, a production like this would have been halted after the first rushes, and re-shooting ordered for the lead actress. That there seems to be something seriously wrong only adds to the sadness upon hearing the "Abandoned" star died before this mystery was released.
** Abandoned (8/24/10) Michael Feifer ~ Brittany Murphy, Dean Cain, Jay Pickett, Tim Thomerson
Murphy's hair looks like it hasn't been washed in weeks; also, there a distinct line showing her darker roots. On top of this most obvious trait, she often appears unwell, hiding a gaunt face under sometimes ghastly make-up and a lip poof. Despite all of this, we are supposed to believe Murphy is a "high-powered career woman" who is trusted to manage $10 million deals. No wonder Mimi Rogers and Peter Bogdanovich act suspicious. Perhaps Murphy needed more time to recover from cosmetic surgery. Possibly, everyone was on schedule and had to finish the movie by a target date. Years ago, a production like this would have been halted after the first rushes, and re-shooting ordered for the lead actress. That there seems to be something seriously wrong only adds to the sadness upon hearing the "Abandoned" star died before this mystery was released.
** Abandoned (8/24/10) Michael Feifer ~ Brittany Murphy, Dean Cain, Jay Pickett, Tim Thomerson
Brittany's last film
wolverinexfitxmma9 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Considering it was her last picture, and her film history was up and down, going from blockbusters to straight to video films. I understand that when you start off in film you begin with low budget and work your way to big name films. What I enjoyed about this film Brittany's acting. She was a love struck girl who worked allot and went through depression time dealing with loss. Then she discovers her boyfriend of 4 months has disappeared and can't find him and the nurse team thinks she is looney. Then he appears outta nowhere for ransom then it was all a rooze. Then the detective solves it and comes to her aid.
Cinematography was terrible but the story and story kept it at float.
Cinematography was terrible but the story and story kept it at float.
For die hard Brittany Murphy fans only
nedcasey5418 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
There are so many movies with this plot set up. After a quick introduction, something happens to one member of a group or pair and they seem to have dropped off the face of the earth. Okay, fine. Why watch yet another one? Perhaps some clever writer has come up with an interesting plot twist to this tired old story line.
Maybe in some other movie, but not here. As with so many other films, the set up is not bad, not great, but more than watchable, mainly because of Brittany Murphy. Dean Cain is, at best, acceptable. At worst he is execrable. As is nearly everyone else. But they are all hampered, even Ms. Murphy, in spots, by terrifically bad writing. Even a short period of time researching would help provide more authentic feeling dialogue for Peter Bogdanovich's psychiatrist who, after a two minute interview, declares Brittany's character to be suffering from 'mental illness'. Sorry, but I think a little more detail than 'I think she might be mental' would be forthcoming from a believable character in this role.
And towards the end as a maniac, screaming, panting security guard looking to shoot Ms. Murphy's character is stalking her, he's running his mouth with a 'come out, come out, wherever you are' patter, as does everyone else trying to kill her. Sure, come out so we can shoot you. No problem, she'll be right out. Is this the best the writer could do? This doesn't even work as parody. At least parody would have the benefit of being funny. This is just weak, lazy writing.
The film is watchable for the first two thirds. The last section is lame, entering into painful for the viewer. Plenty of Film School 101 tilted camera work and tired, tired, tired reliance on surveillance video to help propel a DOA narrative.
How do movies like this get made? Why would someone like Bogdanovich agree to play in such dreck? Or Murphy, for that matter? I guess she really was sick towards the end. But she does a credible job stuck with far below average writing and a poor plot, the twists of which are no more than slightly bent.
If you're a Brittany Murphy fan, go back and rent her earlier stuff. Her last lines are not exactly deathless.
Maybe in some other movie, but not here. As with so many other films, the set up is not bad, not great, but more than watchable, mainly because of Brittany Murphy. Dean Cain is, at best, acceptable. At worst he is execrable. As is nearly everyone else. But they are all hampered, even Ms. Murphy, in spots, by terrifically bad writing. Even a short period of time researching would help provide more authentic feeling dialogue for Peter Bogdanovich's psychiatrist who, after a two minute interview, declares Brittany's character to be suffering from 'mental illness'. Sorry, but I think a little more detail than 'I think she might be mental' would be forthcoming from a believable character in this role.
And towards the end as a maniac, screaming, panting security guard looking to shoot Ms. Murphy's character is stalking her, he's running his mouth with a 'come out, come out, wherever you are' patter, as does everyone else trying to kill her. Sure, come out so we can shoot you. No problem, she'll be right out. Is this the best the writer could do? This doesn't even work as parody. At least parody would have the benefit of being funny. This is just weak, lazy writing.
The film is watchable for the first two thirds. The last section is lame, entering into painful for the viewer. Plenty of Film School 101 tilted camera work and tired, tired, tired reliance on surveillance video to help propel a DOA narrative.
How do movies like this get made? Why would someone like Bogdanovich agree to play in such dreck? Or Murphy, for that matter? I guess she really was sick towards the end. But she does a credible job stuck with far below average writing and a poor plot, the twists of which are no more than slightly bent.
If you're a Brittany Murphy fan, go back and rent her earlier stuff. Her last lines are not exactly deathless.
Her Makeup!
whitetigerzone28 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
There are a lot of movies with this basic plot: "The person you claim is missing, no one else remembers ever having seen. Are you sure he/she isn't a figment of your imagination?" Other examples: So Long at the Fair (Joan Collins), Bunny Lake is Missing (Carol Lynley), And No One Could Save Her (Lee Remick), Flight Plan (Jodie Foster), Dangerous Crossing (Jeanne Crain). Funny, the person presumed crazy is always a woman. The problem with this one is that the star, Brittany Murphy is so over made up, and inappropriately made up, we half expect that the movie will pull the fast one on us and tell us at the end that she indeed always has been crazy and her missing boyfriend never really did exist. If the purple eye shadow and the clown-like ring of lipstick way over extending the boundary of her actual lips (oh, and she's supposed to be a bank manager!) wasn't a clue, maybe we should have picked up on it from the way her hair gets more ever more disheveled as her situation grows ever more dire and her sanity less certain. On the same basis, her dark roots become ever more apparent, strangely so, as the film takes place over the course of a single afternoon. The director seems to have aided her performance in the latter part of the film, in which she is nearing despair, by filming as her Xanax was kicking in. Even so, her acting always remains better than Dean Cain's, but then, so would a brick's. Sadly, this (once) promising actress passed away, mysteriously, shortly after her work in this direct-to-video production. Were those near her missing the signs?
A good twist of a movie but, it's sad that it was Murphy's last film! ; (
Irishchatter15 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I liked the fact it was turning from mystery to action, it kinda makes the film more interesting and good for your brain to guess what's happening. It was kinda shocking that Brittany ' s character turned out to be a lying crock who just went out with her for money. What a sleaze, no wonder 4 months isn't enough to get know that person. I wouldn't consider him a prince charming and I'm glad he got killed in the end lol!
This movie does put you off on going to a hospital for a week even after watching it! Well hey, at least Brittany Murphy didn't put me off watching this! I know it's an underrated film but, I thought it was very good! I give it 8/10!
This movie does put you off on going to a hospital for a week even after watching it! Well hey, at least Brittany Murphy didn't put me off watching this! I know it's an underrated film but, I thought it was very good! I give it 8/10!
Mystery and Suspense at it Greatest!
radeeb_bashir4 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
"Abandoned"is a average movie for me which keeps you in a world of great suspense and thrill throughout the run-time.
The movie started well with full Adventurous disappearance of Brittany's boyfriend Kevin from the Hospital and the movie takes a great turn as detective cannot solve the mysterious puzzle.
I think the story was presented by the Director magnificently.I love the twist at the end particularly and yet another turn at the very end. That was truly Unexpected.
So altogether I loved Brittany's acting. May she rest in peace.
Thank You.
The movie started well with full Adventurous disappearance of Brittany's boyfriend Kevin from the Hospital and the movie takes a great turn as detective cannot solve the mysterious puzzle.
I think the story was presented by the Director magnificently.I love the twist at the end particularly and yet another turn at the very end. That was truly Unexpected.
So altogether I loved Brittany's acting. May she rest in peace.
Thank You.
Lifetime lite? Ugh
tcarroll-2309224 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Sweet Brittany Murphy is stuck in this garbage with human waste product, Dean Cain. Funny how since he portrayed Scott Peterson he gradually morphed into even a bigger dirt bag. MAGAts can't act. It's a shame he spoiled her last movie even more than the writers/director.
Horrible. Her greasy hair and overdrawn lips did not help. Gawd!
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