The Forgotten Ending Explained, Cast, Plot, and More
by Ushapriyanga | Updated May 15, 2023
The Forgotten Info
The Forgotten is a 2004 psychological thriller film directed by Joseph Ruben. It stars Julianne Moore, Dominic West, Gary Sinise, Alfre Woodard, Linus Roache, and Anthony Edwards. The movie tells the story of a woman who firmly believes she lost her son in a plane crash 14 months ago. However, one day she wakes up to discover that everyone around her denies her son's existence.
Despite retaining all her memories, she lacks any physical evidence to contradict her husband and psychiatrist. Determined to find proof of her son's existence, she embarks on a quest for solid evidence. Produced by Revolution Studios for Columbia Pictures, The Forgotten was released on September 24, 2004, in the United States and Canada.
The Forgotten Ending Explained
In the film, Munce takes Telly to an airport and brings her to a rundown hangar belonging to Quest Airlines. There, he introduces her to an agent representing "them." Munce urges the agent to stop the experiment, recognizing the harm it causes. However, the agent dismisses Munce's plea and reveals to Telly that she has been part of an experiment testing the weakening of the mother-child bond. Although Telly's memories couldn't be completely erased, she is determined not to deny her son's existence.
Realizing that his failure to erase Telly's memory will make him look like a failure, the agent subdues her and instructs her to recall her first memory of Sam. Telly remembers the day Sam was born in the hospital, which allows the agent to successfully erase any memory of Sam from existence.
As the agent walks away, thinking he has succeeded, Telly's deep motherly bond triggers a memory of when she was pregnant with Sam. Suddenly, all her memories of Sam come flooding back. Before the agent can comprehend what is happening, a section of the hangar roof is blown off, and he is forcefully pulled into the sky as punishment for his failure to erase Telly's memory. This event marks the end of the experiment.
Telly finds herself living a normal life with memories of everything that transpired. She reunites with Sam at a park where Ash, who has no recollection of the events, is also present, watching over his daughter. Telly reintroduces herself, and they sit together, watching the children play in the playground.
The Forgotten Netflix
In the thriller film "Forgotten" released in 2017, with a maturity rating of U/A 16+ and a duration of 1 hour and 48 minutes, the story revolves around Jin-seok. When Jin-seok's abducted brother suddenly reappears, he appears to be a changed person with no recollection of the past 19 days. Determined to uncover the truth behind the kidnapping, Jin-seok embarks on a pursuit to unravel the mysteries surrounding his brother's disappearance and return.
The film received mostly mixed-to-negative reviews. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 31% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 172 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The website's critical consensus describes the film's premise as becoming too absurd to be taken seriously.
On Metacritic, the film achieved an average score of 43 out of 100, based on 34 reviews, indicating a mixed or average reception. Roger Ebert awarded the film 2 stars out of 4, stating that while "The Forgotten" is not a good movie, it at least presents a believable victim.
The Forgotten Cast
Casts
Characters
Julianne Moore
Telly Paretta
Dominic West
Ash
Christopher Kovaleski
Sam Paretta
Matthew Pleszewicz
Sam at age 5
Jessica Hecht
Eliot
Gary Sinise
Dr. Jack Munce
Alfre Woodard
Anne Pope
Anthony Edwards
Jim Paretta
Kathryn Faughnan
Lauren
Ann Dowd
Eileen The Accountant
J. Tucker Smith
Sheriff Howell
Susan Misner
Agent Lisa Franks
Tim Kang
Agent Alec Wong
Robert Wisdom
Carl Dayton
Felix Solis
Brasher
Lee Tergesen
Al Petalis
Linus Roache
Friendly Man
The Forgotten Where to Watch?
You can watch this movie on Netflix. Revolution Studios acquired the script for "The Forgotten" in 2001 and advocated for Nicole Kidman to be cast in the lead role. However, Julianne Moore was ultimately selected for the part in 2003, and the remaining cast members were announced shortly before filming commenced.
The majority of principal photography took place in New York City, starting on October 25, 2003. The film premiered on September 24, 2004, in the United States and Canada. During its opening weekend, it grossed $21 million across 3,104 theaters, securing the top spot at the box office.
With a production budget of $42 million, "The Forgotten" went on to accumulate $67.1 million in the U.S. and Canada and an additional $50.4 million in other territories. Consequently, it achieved a worldwide gross of $117.5 million.
The Forgotten Plot
Telly Paretta is deeply mourning the loss of her son Sam, who tragically died in a plane crash 14 months ago. She maintains his untouched bedroom, visits his grave regularly, and attends a support group for bereaved parents. However, her husband Jim is eager to move on and wants her to do the same. One day, upon returning from work, Telly discovers that Sam's room has been emptied and redecorated. Enraged, she confronts Jim, but he shocks her by insisting that they never had a son and that she is delusional.
Determined to prove Sam's existence, Telly reaches out to acquaintances for confirmation. However, even her close friend Eliot doubts the reality of Sam. Seeking concrete evidence, she consults Dr. Munce, her obstetrician, who confirms her pregnancy but claims she miscarried and that Sam is merely a figment of her imagination. Munce suggests she seek treatment at a hospital, but Telly flees instead.
Refusing to accept the denial of her son's existence, Telly seeks out Ash, another member of the support group whose daughter Lauren was Sam's friend and also perished in the crash. However, Ash dismisses Telly's claims and denies ever having a daughter. He calls the police, but upon investigating his house, he uncovers evidence of his daughter's existence and remembers her.
Ash rescues Telly from the police, and they go into hiding while being pursued by NSA agents. Together, they speculate about the powerful entities behind the effort to make them forget their children and the motives driving such actions.
During their escape, Telly and Ash capture an agent who reluctantly reveals that they are assisting "them" in protecting humanity. Suddenly, the roof of the house is violently torn off, and the agent, along with the roof, is seemingly taken by "them." Telly and Ash manage to escape. Eventually, Telly revisits Dr. Munce, who discloses that the disappearances are orchestrated by "them" and that the government is aware but unable to intervene.
Munce takes Telly to an airport and introduces her to an agent of "them" at a dilapidated hangar belonging to Quest Airlines. Munce urges the agent to end the experiment due to the harm it causes, but the agent reveals that it is not over. Telly learns that she has been part of an experiment testing the strength of the mother-child bond, but her memories could not be completely erased.
Refusing to deny her son's existence, Telly's determination angers the agent. He subdues her and manipulates her into recalling her earliest memory of Sam—the day he was born. Telly complies, and the agent successfully erases Sam's memory from existence.
Believing he has succeeded, the agent begins to walk away, but Telly's maternal instinct triggers a deeper memory of being pregnant with Sam. She remembers the life within her, and all her memories of Sam flood back. Before the agent can comprehend what is happening, the hangar roof is violently blown off, and he is pulled into the sky for failing to erase Telly's memory. This marks the end of the experiment.
Telly finds herself back to a normal life, with vivid memories of everything that transpired. She reunites with Sam at a park, where Ash, now with no memory of the events, is also present, watching over his daughter. Telly introduces herself once again, and they sit together, observing the children playing in the playground.
The Forgotten Ending Explained - FAQs
"The Forgotten" revolves around Telly Paretta, a grieving mother who is convinced that her son Sam, who died in a plane crash, still exists despite everyone telling her otherwise.
"The Forgotten" is categorized as a psychological thriller.
The film stars Julianne Moore as Telly Paretta, Dominic West as Ash, Gary Sinise as Dr. Munce, and Alfre Woodard as Telly's friend Eliot.
Critics had mixed opinions about the film. Some found the premise too far-fetched, while others appreciated the performances. It holds a 31% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 172 reviews.
The film was directed by Joseph Ruben.