Interesting debut with strong performances and a compelling tale.

This could have gone down a darker, criminal route but wisely doesn't. It stays downbeat, and oddly touching.

"Nancy" was a sensitive and compelling story about a thirty-five-year-old woman who claims to be Brooke, the daughter of Leo and Ellen, who was kidnapped three decades in the past. The film develops the drama of a how truthful her claim might be and what she may be concealing from the still-grieving parents.

The first part of the film establishes the character of Nancy Freeman and her relationship with her strange mother Betty. After Betty dies of a stroke, Nancy watches a television exposé of a decades old kidnapping case. She compares an imagined photograph of how the lost girl might appear today and starts thinking about her own birth certificate that apparently she has never seen.

The photo does bear a striking resemblance to Nancy. But it is also clear that Nancy has a vivid imagination based on her blog, her writing of short stories, and her impersonation of a pregnant woman for a man she met online. Is she a compulsive liar? Is she slightly delusional and believes her own lies? Or, is she really the long lost daughter of Ellen and Leo?

Nancy then travels to meet the parents. Curiously, she has no memories of her childhood or her experiences with the parents. Little Brooke disappeared around age four, but the only memory that Nancy can conjure is that of a tree house in the forest. But the audience knows that the tree house is not a memory but something Nancy knew existed based on remains of the tree house she saw during a stroll. Nancy is about to make a confession when Ellen cuts her off and requests that they continue the conversation the next day. By that time, however, Nancy is back on the road.

The character of the mother, a literature professor, was especially moving. It was clear that she desperately wanted Nancy to be her daughter. But it was also clear that Ellen might accept this new person in her life even after learning the negative results of the DNA test. The father, Leo, who is a psychiatrist, is more skeptical.

There was especially strong feeling conveyed by the exceptional cast. At the close of the film, Nancy seems relieved that the experience is over. But it is unclear what will be the next chapter in her life after she returns home with her cat.

A good mystery movie for me is a movie with an interesting beginning, followed by alot of intrigues, guessing what's going on, twists and turns, to conclude by a satisfying and/or all explaining ending. Nancy had it almost all correct expect for the ending that I thought was a bit disappointing, just the kind of ending that doesn't satisfy. I would have scored it a little higher if it was not for that, but I'm sure other people will find it good enough. The acting is good, from the whole cast, the story is captivating and intriguing, but the outcome wasn't what I expected.