Character Relationship Map: Missing

Characters

• Ed Horman (played by Jack Lemmon) — protagonist

  A conservative businessman from New York who travels to Chile to find his disappeared journalist son. Initially blames radical politics, but investigates U.S. government involvement, reconciles with h...

• Beth Horman (played by Sissy Spacek) — protagonist

  Ed's daughter-in-law, initially in a strained political relationship with him. She blames the U.S. government for her husband's disappearance, works alongside Charlie, and eventually reconciles with E...

• Charles Horman (played by John Shea) — supporting

  Charlie Horman, a journalist who disappears during the Chilean military coup and is later confirmed murdered by the junta with U.S. complicity. His body is returned to his father seven months later.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Ed Horman → Beth Horman (Family Father-In-Law) — Their family relationship is strained at first but becomes more supportive.

  Ed meets Beth, identified as his daughter-in-law, after arriving in Chile.

• Beth Horman → Charles Horman (Romantic Spouse) — Beth is Charlie's wife, whose personal loss drives her search for the truth.

  Beth is identified as Ed's daughter-in-law, and the plot refers to Charlie as her husband.

• Ed Horman → Charles Horman (Family Father) — Ed is Charlie's father and the central investigator in the search for him.

  Ed travels to Chile to search for his disappeared son, Charlie.

Story Analysis

A father searching for his son uncovers political complicity, confronts institutional denial, and rebuilds his relationship with his daughter-in-law.

Plot Progression

1. A Father's Search — Ed arrives in Chile to find Charlie after the military coup. His meeting with Beth exposes a family divided by conflicting political explanations.
2. Questions At The Embassy — Ed uses his connections to question officials and seeks help from the American embassy. Evasive answers and a hostile warning make him suspicious.
3. The Political Truth — Ed and Beth investigate together and discover that U.S. interests benefited from the coup. They also learn that military officials aided Pinochet.
4. Evidence Of Murder — Ed begins respecting Beth and Charlie's work, and the two in-laws reconcile. Proof then confirms that the junta murdered Charlie with U.S. complicity.
5. A Father's Accusation — Ed confronts embassy officials and demands accountability. The postscript records the delayed return of Charlie's body, the dismissed lawsuit, and continuing official denial.