"Deep End of the Ocean" is one of the most effective and emotionally heartwrenching films I have ever seen. It really shows how it only takes a minute for a child to be kidnapped and his family to be permanently affected because of it. Michelle Pfeiffer is excellent as Beth Cappadora, the loving but somewhat ditzy young mother who takes her two small sons and her infant daughter with her to a high school reunion at a hotel. There, Beth makes perhaps the biggest mistake of her life when she leaves the two boys alone right smack in the middle of a very crowded lobby while she pays at the front desk. As can only be expected when two young children are left unsupervised, something happens. The younger son--3-year-old Ben--disappears and is not found. After a series of breakdowns and withdrawals, Beth is finally able to start putting her life back together with the help of Pat, her extremely loving and supportive husband. Just when things are finally getting better for Beth and her family, a 12-year-old Ben randomly shows up at the Cappadoras' doorstep, so beginning another long period of confusion, fear, discomfort, and pain for everyone involved. It really is a very moving film; much like "The Face on the Milk Carton," but with a very different conclusion. "The Deep End of The Ocean" really grasps the issues of child abduction, the effects that it has on the other children in the family, and everything a mother goes through when she realizes that her child is lost and may never be seen again. I was personally touched by Jonathan Jackson's character--Vincent, the oldest Cappadora son. Only seven years old at the beginning of the movie, he ends up holding his family together when Ben disappears, and he is clearly overlooked throughout it all. Obviously, this plays a big part in the behavioral issues and problems that Vincent develops as he grows older. The character he plays is very realistic, and you come to understand how much he truly was overshadowed when Ben disappeared and how much he needs to know that his parents still love him and have forgiven him for what happened. (I won't say what he needs forgiveness for, but it all ties together in the movie.) Treat Williams was masterful as the loving husband. To me, he was the strongest part of the movie. He loved his wife unconditionally, he was a very caring father, and all he wanted was to help make his family whole again. Although he is sometimes a little unrealistic through his opinion that everything will fall right into place, it is very nice to know that there is a character in the movie with a very optimistic viewpoint and a belief that things will be all right in the end.