Amber Alert

Mom, her three children and her mother are enjoying a sunny afternoon in a Louisville park. The mom, Monica Bryce (Katie McClellan), is posing with her young son for a video her mother is recording on her iPhone. The two other children are running around the grounds playing hide-and-seek. As her 7-year-old daughter is hiding behind a tree, a black Toyota Camry drives up and stops. The passenger door opens revealing a life-sized doll. Of course the young girl is intrigued by the doll and very slowly approaches the car.        

Monica and her family are finished in the park and ready to head home – but where’s the older daughter? Grandma checks her video of the afternoon’s activities and sees her granddaughter approaching a black Camry. The license plate does not appear in the video. In panic mode, Monica calls 911, describes the situation and demands an Amber alert be broadcast. The person answering the 911 call is eager to assist, the police chief she reports to is not. Without a license place number he’s reluctant to post an Amber alert – he finally acquiesces and the alarm goes out.

In another part of the city, Jacqueline “Jak” (Hayden Panettiere) is dashing out the door of her office for a meeting. She’s late for the meeting and the Uber driver she ordered. He drives off as she exits her building – she’s late for him too. There is another driver dropping off his passenger at her building. Before Shane (Tyler Williams) pulls away from the curb, Jak pounds on his window pleading with him to take her to her meeting. He’s sorry he can’t as he is finished for the day and must get home to attend his son’s birthday. After much pleading and the offer of a handsome tip, she finally convinces him to drive her to her meeting – they’re going the same direction, after all.

Jak and Shane receive the Amber alert on their respective devices. At that same moment, Jak notices a black Camry pass by and thinks she sees a small girl in the back seat signaling for help. She is sure it’s the Amber alert car, Shane is not. He tells her that the car is popular, there are many such vehicles of that color in the city. After much pleading Shane agrees to follow the car in question at a discrete distance. Shortly after the pursuit begins, the Camry pulls into a gas station and the driver enters the station to purchase snacks. Jak can’t resist, she has to see if there is a girl in the back seat.

Shane tries to convince Jak to not approach the vehicle – to no avail. He parks a short distance away, Jak sneaks out of the car and, hiding behind anything to conceal her presence, approaches the Camry. Peeking through the heavily tinted back window, all she sees is a pair of young girl’s legs wearing shoes and socks similar to those described in the Amber alert. Seeing the driver returning to his Camry, Jak dashes back to her car convinced she’s found the kidnapped girl. The Camry exits the gas station as do Shane and Jak. The chase begins.

Directed by Kerry Bellessa (Credits: Immanence), “Amber Alert” runs 90 minutes and is a “should see” for an exciting cat and mouse chase. Amber Alert is the US child abduction emergency alert system. It is named in memory of Amber Hagerman who was abducted in 1996.