It's smartly directed by Jake "son of Ridley" Scott, and the supporting cast, including Christina Hendricks as Debra's wiser older sister, are equally robust.

Miller's finely tuned performance manages to be tough and sparky and just world-weary enough, without slipping into one-size-fits-all inspirational "survivor" cliche.

American Woman doesn't tie everything up neatly, but that's one of its strengths. And in its empathy and patience, it offers Miller the part this too often sidelined actor has long deserved; she seizes it superbly.

Rather than make this a movie about a woman trying to figure out what happened to her missing daughter, Brad Ingelsby’s script turns it into a deeper story about life itself. It beautifully captures the cyclical nature of life’s tragedies & triumphs