A story about a murdered teenager watching her family struggle from beyond the grave is going to have more than a few heartbreaking moments.
Book
- From the book: when the family dog dies, Susie worries that he won't recognize her after so many years apart. He does.
- Also the book's description of Jack dealing with the bottles. "All the years they marked and the hands that had held them. His dead father's, his dead child's"
- Susie's charm bracelet. It's known that she was wearing it when she was murdered. Years later, Len hears about a murder victim found with a charm that didn't belong to them. Abigail and Jack recognize the charm as Susie's, but without the rest of her body and the bracelet itself, there's no way to prove it. Later still, the bracelet surfaces at a construction site — but nobody who sees it realizes its significance.
- When Ruth asks Lindsey if she misses her sister, Lindsey replies, "More than anyone will ever know."
- Grandma Lynn pointing out that the memorial and vigil held for Susie is, functionally, her funeral, since they never found her body.
- "You were not there when your daughter needed you."
Movie
- When Susie meets the other murder victims and the youngest one runs up and gives her a hug, but your mileage may vary between certain scenes.
- The scene in the film when Susie's parents learn of her death. Jack is trying to be hopeful that they only found some of Susie's belongings but not her, meaning there's a chance she could be somewhere else. Len has to slowly add that they found a lot of blood. It then cuts to Abigail howling in agony in bed.
- The way Rachel Weisz plays Abigail talking about Susie to the police when she first goes missing. She insists "she's a happy child", and that she hasn't run away. She sounds almost in denial, as if she's wondering whether something she said or did could have made Susie run away.
- A scene between Susie and Grandma Lynn, where the latter says that she's destined to live a long and happy life because she saved Buckley. Susie's narration bittersweetly says "as usual, Grandma Lynn was wrong."
- While Grandma Lynn's visit is played for laughs mostly, there's a moment where she and Abigail are having an argument about how badly she's coping. Grandma at one point says "you have a tomb in the middle of your house!"
- Susie witnessing Lindsey's first kiss and weeping because her little sister has surpassed her, and experiencing "the moment I would never have". Saoirse Ronan delivers the line in a way that says she knows she should be happy for Lindsey and is, but can't help but think of what she herself is going to miss out on.Holly: You think she did not want to kiss that boy?
- While terrifying, the sequence of Susie being lured into Harvey's trap has plenty of sadness to it. She's initially tempted when he says it's something the neighborhood kids will enjoy, and she actually sounds so excited that she might get some kind of treat. And she initially loves the little clubhouse, thinking it's going to be fun. You spend the whole scene wishing it could have all just been a harmless sanctuary for the local children.
- The whole place is filled with things that should seem comforting to a child; stuffed animals, dolls, Archie Comics and Coke bottles. The fact that Harvey used such innocent things to ensnare a poor child.
- It's also intercut with a sequence of Susie's family having dinner and at first not worrying, even making jokes about her being late. There's even a bit where they jokingly put more vegetables on her plate as punishment for keeping them waiting. The audience already knows that Susie will die, thanks to her narration.
- As Jack goes out searching, Lindsey stands at the top of the stairs to talk casually about what trouble Susie will be in when she's found. Abigail looks up at her, and you can tell she's taken by the fact that Lindsey can't conceive of the fact that her sister might not come home - while Abigail herself is already picturing the worst.
- Susie discovering all of Harvey's victims. She finds their bodies and sadly narrates their dates of death, also offering explanations of how they died or where they were found. It sadly calls back to her earlier speech of how Harvey didn't just kill her; he turned her into nothing but a statistic of dead/missing/lost girls.
- One girl was only six. At least Susie and some of the others had a little time with their families and got to experience some of life (and his landlady at least got to adulthood). This girl didn't even get that!
- Revealing Holly as one of the victims too. The narration informs us that she disappeared outside her parents' shop, only feet away from her father.
- When Jack begins to suspect the truth of Mr. Harvey's involvement in Susie's disappearance, Mr. Harvey calmly but quickly retreats into his house. Jack starts furiously banging on the house's back door, to the point that it actually cracks. The absolute helplessness and desperation in his voice as he demands answers from Mr. Harvey, only to be met by cold and sadistic silence, is heartbreaking.Jack: WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER?! TELL ME! WHERE IS SHE?!
