The Missing is a 2003 American Western film directed by Ron Howard and starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett.

Set in 1885 New Mexico Territory, the film is notable for the authentic use of the Apache language by various actors, some of whom spent long hours studying it.

In late 19th-century New Mexico, Samuel Jones arrives at the house of his daughter Magdalena "Maggie" Gilkeson, hoping to reconcile with her after abandoning her and her mother decades before.

Renegade Apache Pesh-Chidin, alias El Brujo and followers raid the area, killing settlers and taking women and girls to sell into sex slavery in Mexico.

Maggie secures her father's release from jail, and the two decide to go after the abducted girls, taking the last daughter Dot with them.

The lieutenant in charge evades helping them, as he must lead his unit to carry out the forced relocation of captive Native Americans.

During a standoff, Jones tries to explain to Maggie why he abandoned the family, saying that Chaa-duu-ba-its-iidan means "shit for luck".

Jones and Maggie hold off the attackers, but El Brujo stealthily climbs up the side of the cliff and injures Honesco, while his followers use fire arrows to spread panic in the camp.

Jones lights bushes on fire to slow down the attackers, and confronts El Brujo, who had kidnapped his granddaughter.

[4] Actors such as Tommy Lee Jones, Jay Tavare, Simon R. Baker, and others had learned to speak some dialogue in the Chiricahua dialect of Apache; this was used throughout the film.