October 11, 2002

By Veronica Mixon

In Abandon, Katie Holmes stars as popular senior about to graduate from a small New Hampshire college. Plagued by nightmares about her father's desertion, she's under pressure to finish her thesis and do well in an important job interview. Frazzled and weary, Katie (that's the character's name) doesn't confide in her friends (Zooey Deschanel, Gabrielle Union and Gabriel Mann) about her nightmares or the tension that is slowing ripping her life apart. Nevertheless, they rally around her.

When a local cop, Det. Handler (Benjamin Bratt) starts asking questions about her boyfriend, Embry who disappeared nearly two years ago, this only adds to the pressure. Embry (Charlie Hunnam) was a wealthy genius that dabbled in music, archaeology and poetry. His guru status lured giddy students to his lectures and it enabled him to seduce a naïve Katie. She was shattered by his mysterious disappearance. Suddenly, Embry reappears to threaten and frighten Katie and she's not sure why.

A recovering alcoholic, Handler falls for Katie, as do most of the men on campus, including her creepy shrink (Tony Goldwyn). When Handler throws his keen cop judgment out the window, the movie takes a predictable path and the conclusion is no surprise to anyone.

Abandon is a suspenseful thriller but its pace is too slow. Given the fact that the first-time director, Stephen Gaghan won an Academy Award as Best Screenwriter for Traffic, this is rather surprising. His original thesis, as stated in a New York Times article of college students under pressure is lost in this simplistic script. Nevertheless, the film does have an eerie sleek look that suggests a hidden sexual undertone and this outweighs the routine stuff like the heroine jumping at all the weird sounds in the library and exploring lonely buildings.

Katie Holmes is best known for her role as Joey on TV's "Dawson's Creek" and she's given wonderful supporting performances in The Gift and Wonder Boys. This is her first starring vehicle. She is beautiful and alluring, and her long-legged look is perfect for the big screen.

While Benjamin Bratt (Pinero, Miss Congeniality) is good, the real casting gems are the charming Charlie Hunnam (Brit TV Queer As Folk) and the scene stealing Zooey Deschanel, who was hilarious in The Good Girl and the best thing in the silly ensemble comedy, Big Trouble.

Hopefully, the elegant, ghostly darkness in Abandon will satisfy audiences.