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The Vanishing poster

The Vanishing

year 1993decade 90sdirector George Sluizergenre Psychological thrillergenre Horror

109 minutes

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Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Jeff Bridges Barney Cousins
Kiefer Sutherland Jeff Harriman
Nancy Travis Rita Baker
Sandra Bullock Diane Shaver
Maggie Linderman Denise Cousins
Lisa Eichhorn Helene Cousins
George Hearn Arthur Bernard
Lynn Hamilton Miss Carmichael

The Vanishing | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanproducer Craig Horlbeck
Explore episodeClose episode

Most Rewatchable Scene

Many scenes are nominated; the full Barney-to-coffin stretch and Jeff discovering Diane missing at the gas station are the final favorites.

In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:40Read transcript
  • The first ten minutes establish Barney as a psychopath through his chloroform tests and preparation.
  • Diane shouts that nobody can see their stopped car until they are on top of it and points out that Jeff passed ten gas stations.
  • Diane entering the gas station and Jeff slowly realizing she has vanished makes the premise terrifying.
  • Rita cracking Jeff’s password, putting on a black wig, and entering his command post is praised as Hitchcock and De Palma style suspense.
  • Jeff saying he would let Diane be dead in exchange for certainty reveals the depth of his obsession.
  • Barney hiding behind the door after Rita hears his answering-machine message uses a favorite horror trick.
  • Barney’s answering-machine introduction, keychain, and calm response after Jeff beats him create a bizarre confrontation.
  • The drive pairs Barney’s insistence that he is not a rapist with a roast-beef sandwich and a police stop.
  • Barney’s rescue story turns into an argument about free will and balancing good with deliberate evil.
  • The abduction flashback shows how a cheap bracelet offer persuades Diane into Barney’s car.
  • Jeff drinking the coffee despite understanding the trap demonstrates that knowing is worth dying to him.
  • Jeff waking in the coffin is singled out as terrifying and a personal worst fear.
  • Rita reversing the trap and striking Barney with a shovel makes the revised ending satisfying.
  • The whole stretch from Barney’s arrival through the beating, drive, coffee, coffin, and rescue is praised as a great twenty minutes.
  • The final personal choice is Jeff at the gas station realizing Diane is gone.

What’s Aged the Best?

Barney’s setup, the anagram, Jeff’s pathetic obsession, smoking as instant trauma shorthand, the villain name, early Bullock and Sutherland, and odd relationship lines receive praise.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:56Read transcript
  • Barney’s craziness is established before the movie shifts into Diane and Jeff’s story.
  • Diane Shaver is identified as an anagram of “she vanished.”
  • Jeff’s attack on Rita for leaving makes his pathetic obsession unusually vivid.
  • Kiefer lighting a cigarette as soon as Diane disappears is praised as compact trauma shorthand.
  • Barney Cousins is called an excellent villain name.
  • The film captures Sandra Bullock immediately before Speed and Kiefer Sutherland before his later action-star identity.
  • Nancy Travis’s line about no secrets “in the heart or on the lips” is preserved as memorably strange.

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Jeff waking in the coffin wins; Rita putting on Diane’s clothes in the bathroom is a late alternate.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:57Read transcript
  • The lighter revealing Jeff inside the coffin is the cinematic-shot choice.
  • The bathroom realization that Rita is putting on Diane’s clothes is offered as another cinematic shot.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Rita staying after discovering Jeff’s command post and Rita’s permissive diner friend are the two weak links.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:57Read transcript
  • Rita discovers a fake Army Reserve story, the command post, and proof that Jeff remains obsessed, yet still stays.
  • The panel argues that Rita should leave rather than keep fighting for Jeff.
  • Rita’s diner friend casually encourages daytime drinking and prank messages despite Jeff’s dangerous obsession.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Hacky sack, answering-machine plot devices, Rita’s diner job, the missing digital trail, Jeff’s behavior, drinking while driving, old gas stations, reviews, the appended ending, reused titles, and fragmented streaming libraries receive criticism.

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:41:52Read transcript
  • Hacky sack now looks tied to its era.
  • Answering-machine messages as major plot devices have disappeared.
  • Rita’s overnight diner work seems implausibly limiting for a smart, resilient problem solver.
  • The couple’s improved apartment and income after the time jump are unexplained.
  • Modern cameras and phone tracking would likely expose a gas-station abduction quickly.
  • Jeff’s poor driving, emergency judgment, income, and obsessive search are treated as increasingly hard to defend.
  • A passenger openly drinking beer in the car is identified as a vanished screen norm.
  • Full-service gas stations as social spaces have declined.
  • The hostile reviews are said to have aged worse than the beloved cable movie.
  • The celebratory book-and-no-coffee ending is criticized as a self-parodying early-1990s appendage.
  • Reusing The Vanishing for another movie and incomplete streaming libraries make the correct film unusually hard to locate.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

The neighbor who reports a dancing Lucky Charms leprechaun wins.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:14Read transcript
  • The neighbor’s account moves from the assault to a cereal-box leprechaun dancing around the room.
  • The panel says the character seems to belong in an asylum rather than merely being eccentric.

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

The Vanishing remains preferred, though Your Obsession Was My Weapon is proposed.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:02Read transcript
  • The initial answer is that the existing title should stay.
  • Your Obsession Was My Weapon is offered as a strong alternate.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

The panel accepts American remakes of less-accessible foreign films when they add something new, and separately argues that full-service gas stations should return as gathering places.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:15Read transcript
  • The take is willingness to remake a foreign film that the participant would otherwise never watch.
  • Vanilla Sky is contrasted with Open Your Eyes as a remake of a foreign movie already worth seeking out.
  • The American Vanishing is defended for bringing a radically different ending and decades of rewatch value.
  • Full-service gas stations should return as places to eat, drink, and spend time.

Apex Mountain

Nancy Travis, characters named Barney or surnamed Cousins, full-service gas stations, and Seattle receive cases; the other principal actors, director, Infinity bracelet, and coffee do not.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:12Read transcript
  • Nancy Travis is placed near an early-1990s peak, though Internal Affairs and So I Married an Axe Murderer compete.
  • Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Sandra Bullock, and director George Sluzer receive no verdicts.
  • The Infinity bracelet is rejected.
  • Barney Cousins ranks at least third among characters named Barney and perhaps higher among characters surnamed Cousins.
  • Coffee is rejected for Apex Mountain.
  • Full-service spacious gas stations receive a plausible apex case.
  • Seattle receives a case based on a run near Singles and Say Anything.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Do not drink the coffee; an earlier qualified alternative is to deny fighting when police ask about a recently vanished partner.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:32Read transcript
  • The practical lesson is to refuse Barney’s coffee.
  • A possible earlier lesson is to say no when police ask whether you fought with a recently vanished partner, so the search can begin.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

An all-Black remake, Barney prequel, Jeff-Diane prequel, and prestige series are considered; the prestige series gets the deepest support.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:56Read transcript
  • An all-Black remake receives an immediate sign-me-up response.
  • A Barney prequel would at least get the panel’s attention.
  • A prequel about Jeff and Diane getting together is also desired.
  • A prestige series could spend an episode on the couple, then move backward into Barney while delaying his reveal.

Is This Movie Better With…?

Wayne Jenkins as the cop is the developed answer from the standard candidate list.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:16Read transcript
  • The observed candidate roll includes Danny Trao, Catherine Hahn, Steve Bouchemy, Sam Jackson, J.T. Walsher, and Philip Baker Hall.
  • Wayne Jenkins replacing the police officer is the only proposal developed into a scene.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

The thermos wins jointly; the Infinity bracelet and Jeff’s red Jeep Cherokee are alternates.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:53Read transcript
  • Both participants choose the thermos.
  • The Infinity bracelet is considered but treated as unsettling.
  • Jeff’s red Jeep Cherokee is another desired item.