evening1 I caught this LMN movie after seeing its sequel, released earlier this year. This one holds up just as well.Again, Tracy Pollan is a surprise as the mother whom Joran van der Sloot never dreamed would haunt his every move. She is superb as a woman so focused on finding justice for her daughter that she alienates most of the people who support her, including her second husband.The "prequel" to this notorious case is presented intriguingly. Natalee comes across as a young woman in a bubble -- pretty and talented and somewhat indulged by her proud mother. Having seemingly been sheltered all her life, she was even less prepared for a long weekend in a foreign country than her similarly blonde girlfriends. Her fatal naiveté is depicted heartbreakingly here.I found it interesting that the Pollan character, Beth Twitty, seemed to find some peace in an explanation of the crime that an ambushed Joran gave to a person whom he thought was a drug dealer offering him work. (She seemed far less sure of this story in the sequel to this film, which mainly depicts Beth pursuing Joran to get an explanation straight from him.) Another intriguing angle was this movie's effort to show the corruption of law enforcement in Aruba, a little island whose reputation will forever be tainted by the lax and unhelpful attitude Twitty encountered.In all, a compelling depiction of what can be the extreme unfairness of life. My only quibble is that the movie probably should have been titled "Beth Twitty."

phd_travel This is engrossing. So many twists and turns happened in the Natalee case with arrests and releases etc that it's hard to remember what happened. But this TV movie does a good job in showing what happened in fact and then a few alternate scenarios for her disappearance.Of course now that Joran has been arrested for another murder we may finally know what happened but for the story till then - this is a good introduction.Tracy is good as Beth. She could be annoyingly over dramatic but she isn't. The guy who plays Joran is good too.It's a good warning for teens venturing abroad - Europe / Mexico etc just to make sure they don't trust strangers and have a plan to go home. Get your teen to watch this. Even the most sensible girl can make a mistake.

sol **SPOILERS** Still making headlines over four years after it happened the disappearance of pretty 18 year-old Alabama high-school graduate Natalee Holloway has become one of biggest missing person mysteries since the disappearance of New York's State Supreme Court Justice Judge Crater back in the summer of 1930.It all happening on the evening of May 29-30, 2005 when Natalee was partying with her fellow high-school graduates at the Carlos'n Charlie's Bar in Orangetown on the island of Aruba where they were spending the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. Getting very friendly with one of the local homeboys Joran Van Der Shoot Natalee had him buy her a drink that Joran, without her knowledge, slipped a Mickey-Finn into that zonked her out and put Natalee on queer street. Together with his two Surinomese friends Deepack & Staish Kalpoe Joran supposedly took a very out of it Natalee in his car for a ride back to her hotel. That was the last time that anyone ever saw Natalee alive again.With Natalee not making her flight back home to Alabama her parents step-dad Jug Twitty and mom Beth flew down to Aruba to find their missing daughter. it's then that the real nightmare began for the Twitty's in not just that their daughter disappeared but may have possibly been kidnapped, and sold into a white slavery ring, but even murdered and deep sixth in the Caribbean Sea in order to hide the body by her killer or killers!As soon as both Beth and Jug arrived on the island they were met with very little cooperation from the island officials that included top cop Det. Frank Sneider. Sneider besides stuffing his face with corn flakes was also a good friend of Natalee's suspected kidnapper or murderer Joran's dad Paul Van Der Shoot. Paul at the time was in line of being appointed a top judge on the island of Aruba. That in fact would not only have him be Sneider's good friend but boss as well! As the frustrated parents got nowhere with the local police, headed by Det. Sneider, in finding their missing daughter Natalee they went public causing a carnival atmosphere of reporters, from MSNBC CNN and FOX, who instead of helping find Natalee were only there to help their own slumping ratting! In them exploiting to the fullest a heart-breaking human interest story more then helping find the victim, Natalee Holloway, of it. It was Natalee's mom Beth who did all she could to find whatever happened to her daughter by going public and demanding the Aruban authorities find her daughter by embarrassing them in how incompetent they were. Still after all this time, four years and counting, there's never been a trace of evidence if Natalee is either alive or dead!At the end of the movie were given an explanation to what really happened to Natalee by non other then her accused kidnapper or murderer Joran Van Der Shoot himself! Not to give away what Joran said, while under the influence of pot, it made about as much as sense, or nonsense, as anything else he said about the incident all throughout the film. The guy-Joran- himself said that even he doesn't believe anything that he says so why should we, the viewers, believe him!As of today Natalee is still considered to be, by the FBI and the Aruban Police, a missing person. Still her concerned parents Jug & Beth Twitty have given up all hope in finding their daughter alive and just want closure so that they can go on with their lives and finally put their daughter Natalee behind them as well as to her eternal rest!

MarieGabrielle While the performances are predictable and the story, well, we can see the same theme on "Nancy Grace"/HLN News every evening, it is important for teens and people traveling to small countries to be aware of the facts presented in this film.Tracy Pollan is believable as Natalee Holloway's mother, a woman who is enraged and galvanized into action when she realizes the death of her daughter was covered up, the perpetrators protected. While certainly this is an upsetting situation, the victim herself was caught in a situation, not realizing the possible outcome.I would suggest that schools promoting such trips be required to provide more guidelines, partying and having fun is all well and good, but when you are in a foreign country, especially if a female,and alone, you need to know how to protect yourself. Teens who have never traveled can scarcely be expected to safeguard against things they have never been made aware of.The reality is that there is no such thing as international law. I was told this in Acapulco, after being injured in a hotel, the hotel paid the medical expenses, but the fact is that, if you are traveling to other countries you need to be aware of their laws. You must be aware of how to protect yourself, and please don't expect the American Embassy to help (See the films "Red Corner" with Richard Gere, and "Midnight Express" with Brad Davis).Worth seeing for the message. Recommended. 7/10.