The Disappearance of Christina is a 1993 made for TV mystery-drama film directed by Karen Arthur, written by Camille Thomasson, and starring John Stamos, Kim Delaney, C.C.H. Pounder, Robert Carradine, and Claire Yarlett.
Architect Joe Seldon seemingly has it all: money, a high-paying job, and his beautiful wife Christina. One day, however, things take a tragic turn when during a trip out to sea with his best friend Michael Kroft and his wife Lily, Christina vanishes while the others are down below. The police, in the form of Detective Davis, think Joe murdered Christina… especially after they reveal that she filed for divorce three days prior. When he gets a call from Christina, Joe winds up on the first step of a journey in which he uncovers a web of deceit involving those closest to him…
The Disappearance of Christina contains examples of the following tropes:
- And Starring: “And Robert Carradine as Michael Kroft.”
- Bittersweet Ending: Joe clears his name and is able to move on with his life, but his best friends are dead, and he’ll be burdened by not knowing if Christina is truly still alive.
- Clear My Name: What Joe sets out to do when he’s blamed for Christina’s murder.
- Faking the Dead: The final shot of the movie reveals that Christina successfully did this. However, aside from the hat and dress in the water, most of the faking was done by Lily.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Invoked Trope. The existence of this trope drives Detective Davis to hound Joe for much of the movie, thinking he’s another rich man who will get away with murder.
- Why Did You Make Me Hit You?: Lily, after she shoots Joe in the shoulder for turning her away.
- Workaholic: Joe is implied to be this.
- Yandere: Lily turns out to be this, secretly loving Joe and finding out about Michael and Christina’s brief affair driving her to set up Michael and Christina as planning to run off with money from the firm while framing Joe for Christina’s murder, and killing Michael so she can run away with Joe. When Joe turns her away, she shoots him, then tells him he made her hurt him.
