Mystic River is a 2003 American drama film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood, and starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney and Emmy Rossum. The film was written by Brian Helgeland, based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.
The film opened to widespread critical acclaim. It was nominated for six Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Sean Penn won Best Actor and Tim Robbins won Best Supporting Actor.
Plot Summary
The film opens with three boys, Sean Devine, Jimmy Markum, and Dave Boyle, playing hockey in the street. While playing, the boys find a section of sidewalk concrete that is still drying. Jimmy impulsively writes his name in the cement and Sean follows. Dave begins to write his name in the cement, but a car pulls up and a man who pretends to be a plainclothes police officer gets out, scolds the three boys, and tells Dave to get in the car. As the car moves away, Dave looks out the back window to see Jimmy and Sean staring back at him. Hearing that Dave was taken away by a police officer, the parents of Jimmy and Sean agree that something is wrong and begin to look for him.
The film then cuts to Dave in the basement of the two pedophiles who took him and then to Dave running away from the house through a forest.
Twenty-five years later, the boys are now grown and still living in Boston. Jimmy (Sean Penn) is an ex-con running a neighborhood store, while Dave (Tim Robbins) is a blue-collar worker, still haunted by his abduction. The two men are still neighbors and related by marriage. Jimmy's 19 year old daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum) is secretly dating Brendan Harris (Thomas Guiry), a boy Jimmy despises. She and Brendan are planning on eloping to marry in Las Vegas.
Katie goes out for the night with her girl friends and is seen by Dave at a local bar. That night, Katie is murdered, and Dave comes home with an injured hand and blood on his clothes, which his wife Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) helps him clean up. Dave claims that he fought off a mugger and possibly killed him. Sean (Kevin Bacon), who is now a detective with the Massachusetts State Police, investigates Katie's murder with his partner, Whitey Powers (Laurence Fishburne). In a subplot, Sean's wife Lauren (Tori Davis) has left him, and subsequently telephones him without speaking. She is pregnant when she makes this call, but won't even tell Sean the baby's sex.
Over the course of the film, Sean and his partner track down leads while Jimmy uses his neighborhood connections to conduct his own investigation. Sean discovers that the gun used to kill Katie was used in a liquor store robbery during the 1980s by "Just Ray" Harris, the father of Brendan Harris, causing him to suspect Brendan. Ray Harris has been missing for some time, but Sean believes that his gun was still in the house.
Brendan claims that Ray has been sending $500 a month since he disappeared. Sean also learns that Jimmy is listed as a known criminal associate of Ray Harris. Powers suspects Dave, as he was one of the last people to see Katie alive and has a wounded hand (Dave tells them that he injured it on the garbage disposal). Dave continues to act strangely, and his wife eventually tells Jimmy about Dave's behavior and the bloody clothing. She tells Jimmy that she thinks Dave killed Katie.
The climax of the film occurs when Jimmy and his friends get Dave drunk. When Dave leaves the bar to vomit, and the men follow him out. Jimmy tells Dave that he shot "Just Ray" Harris at that same location for ratting him out and sending him to jail. This caused Jimmy to be absent while his first wife was battling cancer and ultimately dying while he was in prison. Jimmy tells Dave that he will let him live if he confesses to killing his daughter; if he does not he will kill him right then and there. Dave repeatedly tells Jimmy that he did kill someone but it was not Katie: he killed a pedophile, after finding him with a child prostitute in a car. Dave is so nervous he vomits once again. When Dave finally admits to killing Katie in an attempt to escape with his life, Jimmy stabs him in the stomach and shoots him in the head. They dispose of his body in the adjacent Mystic River.
While Dave's murder is occurring, Brendan (having found out about his father's gun from Sean during questioning) confronts his younger brother and his brother's friend about Katie's murder. He savagely beats the two boys, but is almost shot by one of them when Sean arrives just in time to stop it.
The next morning, Sean tells Jimmy that the police have Katie's murderers – who have confessed. She was killed by Brendan's brother and his friend in a violent prank gone wrong over the fact that Brendan and Katie were going to move away and get married. Sean asks Jimmy if he has seen Dave, because he is wanted for questioning in another case, the murder of a known pedophile. A distraught Jimmy thanks Sean for finding his daughter's killers, but says "if only you had been a little faster". Sean asks Jimmy if he is going to send Celeste Boyle $500 a month too, as he had been doing for the widow of "Just Ray" Harris. This is why Brendan believed his father was sending his mother the money every month, even though it was clear he was dead. Jimmy's wife, Annabeth (Laura Linney), comforts him over Dave's murder, telling him that he did what he had to do because he loves his daughter. Some time later, at a parade, Celeste frantically tries to get the attention of her despondent son Michael (Cayden Boyd). Sean spots Jimmy in the crowd and makes a gun with his hand, 'shooting' it at Jimmy. Jimmy shrugs and puts on his sunglasses.
The film ends with the camera zooming towards Mystic River and fades to black.
Cast
- Sean Penn as Jimmy Markum
- Tim Robbins as Dave Boyle
- Kevin Bacon as Sean Devine
- Laurence Fishburne as Sgt. Whitey Powers
- Marcia Gay Harden as Celeste Boyle
- Laura Linney as Annabeth Markum
- Emmy Rossum as Katie Markum
- Thomas Guiry as Brendan Harris
- Cayden Boyd as Michael Boyle
- Ari Graynor as Eve Pigeon
- Eli Wallach as Mr. Loonie
- Jonathan Togo as Pete
Awards and nominations
Awards
- 76th Academy Awards:
- Best Actor in a Leading Role (Sean Penn)
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Tim Robbins)
- Art Directors Guild: Feature Film - Contemporary Film (Henry Bumstead [production designer] and Jack G. Taylor Jr. [art director])
- Blue Ribbon Awards: Best Foreign Language Film
- 24th Boston Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Picture, Best Ensemble Cast
- 9th BFCA Critics' Choice Awards: Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins)
- Cannes Film Festival: Golden Coach (Clint Eastwood)
- Casting Society of America: Best Casting for Feature Film - Drama
- Central Ohio Film Critics: Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins), Best Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden)
- Chicago Film Critics Association: Best Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins)
- César Awards (France): Best Foreign Language Film
- Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association: Best Actor (Sean Penn)
- Florida Film Critics Circle: Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins)
- Fotogramas de Plata (Spain): Best Foreign Language Film
- 61st Golden Globe Awards:
- Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (Sean Penn)
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Tim Robbins)
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle: Best Actor (Sean Penn)
- Kinema Junpo Awards (Japan): Best Foreign Language Film
- Las Vegas Film Critics Society: Best Actor (Sean Penn)
- London Film Critics Circle: Actor of the Year (Sean Penn), Director of the Year (Clint Eastwood)
- Mainichi Film Concours (Japan): Best Foreign Language Film
- National Board of Review: Best Picture, Best Actor (Sean Penn)
- National Society of Film Critics: Best Director (Clint Eastwood)
- PEN Center USA West Literary Awards: Best Screenplay (Brian Helgelan)
- Sant Jordi Awards (Spain): Best Foreign Language Film
- Satellite Awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (Sean Penn), Best Screenplay - Adapted (Brian Helgeland)
- Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Tim Robbins)
- Seattle Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden)
- Southeastern Film Critics Association: Best Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins), Best Screenplay - Adapted (Brian Helgeland)
- USC Scripter Award: Brian Helgeland (screenwriter) and Dennis Lehane (author)
- Uruguayan Film Critics Association (Uruguay): Best Film
- Vancouver Film Critics Circle: Best Actor (Sean Penn)
Nominations
- 76th Academy Awards:
- Best Picture
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Marcia Gay Harden)
- Best Director (Clint Eastwood)
- Best Screenplay - Adapted (Brian Helgeland)
- American Cinema Editors: Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic (Joel Cox)
- American Screenwriters Association: Discover Screenwriting Award (Brian Helgeland)
- Argentine Film Critics Association: Best Foreign Film (Clint Eastwood)
- Australian Film Institute: Best Foreign Film
- Awards of the Japanese Academy: Best Foreign Film
- 57th BAFTA Film Awards:
- Best Actor in a Leading Role (Sean Penn)
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Tim Robbins)
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Laura Linney)
- Best Screenplay - Adapted (Brian Helgeland)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association: Best Acting Ensemble, Best Supporting Actress (Mary Gay Harden), Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Writer (Brian Helgeland), Best Composer (Clint Eastwood)
- Cannes Film Festival: Golden Palm (Clint Eastwood)
- Cinema Writers Circle (Spain): Best Foreign Film
- European Film Awards: Screen International Award (Clint Eastwood)
- 61st Golden Globe Awards:
- Best Motion Picture - Drama
- Best Director - Motion Picture (Clint Eastwood)
- Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Brian Helgeland)
- IFTA Awards: Best International Film, Best International Actor (Sean Penn)
- International Horror Guild: Best Movie
- Motion Picture Sound Editors: Best Sound Editing in Domestic Features - Dialogue & ADR
- Online Film Critics Society: Best Picture, Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins), Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Screenplay - Adapted (Brian Helgeland)
- PGA Golden Laurel Awards: Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award
- Robert Festival (Denmark): Best American Film
- Satellite Awards: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Drama (Marcia Gay Harden), Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing (Joel Cox), Best Sound (Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman, Michael Semanick, Christopher Boyes and Gary Summers)
- Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Sean Penn and Tim Robbins)
- Writers Guild of America: Best Adapted Screenplay (Brian Helgeland)
DVD releases
The DVD was released on June 8, 2004 and 3 editions have been released:
- Full Screen Edition
- Widescreen Edition
- 3-Disc Deluxe Edition
Bibliography
- Eberhard Ostermann: Mystic River oder die Abwesenheit des Vaters. In: E.O.: Die Filmerzählung. Acht exemplarische Analysen. Munich (Fink) 2007. pp. 29-43. ISBN 978-3-7705-4562-9.
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A Very Heavy, Dark Movie
"Mystic River" begins with the abduction and sexual assault of a young
sddavis63 (revsdd@gmail.com) from Ontario, Canada - 28 June 2009boy, and that sets the stage for the whole movie. No, this is not
light, fluffy entertainment. This is a dark, heavy and tragic story
about how a horrible event affects 3 (and, ultimately, more) lives.
When Dave was abducted, he was playing street hockey with two friends,
but it was Dave who was taken. After the portrayal of the assault, the
movie picks up years later, when the lives of all three begin to come
together again when the daughter of one of the three is murdered. Dave
was played by Tim Robbins, who I thought was very convincing as a man
tormented by his past. Jimmy, the father of the murdered girl, was also
well played by Sean Penn. The character came across as something of a
gangster-type, who decides to seek his own revenge against his
daughter's killer. The most disappointing performance (perhaps because
he was playing the least interesting character) was from Kevin Bacon as
Sean, who has become a police detective and is hunting down the
murderer.The story unfolds slowly but remains interesting throughout. The
suggestion throughout was that Dave was the murderer, but right from
the beginning that seemed too easy and obvious to me. That suspicion
led to ultimately tragic results at the end of the movie that were at
least the equal of the tragic beginning of the movie. Good use was made
of locations, which added a realistic feel to the movie throughout. The
strange relationship between Sean and his ex-wife, who would repeatedly
phone him and then not speak, struck me as a little bit silly and I
thought detracted from the story. In the end, I also wasn't sure how I
should feel about what was happening. On the one hand, you have to feel
sympathy for Jimmy, who has to come to terms with his daughter's
murder. On the other hand, you have the sense that this guy needs to
face some consequences for what he's done, and there's no indication
that he will. So I was left with mixed emotions.Certainly, a good movie - but, as I said, a very heavy movie. 7/10
Mystic Tragedy
Mystic River is a very mysterious and tragic film. The mood of the
krcoe from United States - 17 June 2009movie is very dark, suspenseful, and chilling. The movie starts out
with three boys playing stickball in a rough section of Boston, known
as East Buckingham. Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins),
and Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) always did what most boys do in their
neighborhood. Nothing exciting ever happened until one day Dave was
forced to take the ride that would change all their lives forever. The
boys all stopped spending time together and eventually grew apart.
Their lives all turned in different directions. Now twenty-five years later, yet another life-altering event, the
murder of Jimmy's daughter, brings them all back together again. Sean
has become a cop, and he and his partner are now assigned to unravel
this mysterious crime. Jimmy, now full of rage, wants to find his
daughters murderer. Sean must stay a couple steps ahead of him so no
one gets killed. Dave comes home late one night with blood all over him. The same night
Jimmy's daughter, Katie, was murdered. Dave's wife, Celeste, helps him
clean everything up. The next day Dave starts to act weird and becomes
distant. Celeste now thinks that something's up and he may be the
killer of Katie. Because of Dave's terrifying past, he is now a suspect
in the mysterious crime. I loved the film. Clint Eastwood did an amazing job directing it. The
scenes, setting and story plot are fantastic. The music keeps you on
your toes and was perfect for this movie. Mystic River is full of
suspense and mystery. For me the film was a little to long. There is not to much I would
change about it though. This was my favorite movie out of all the films
we have seen so far. I really did not like how the movie ended. I believe all the actors did a phenomenal job playing their roles. Sean
Penn did an excellent job playing the enraged father, Jimmy. Tim
Robbins did fantastic as the disturbed Dave. Kevin Bacon did amazing
playing the role as the determined cop Sean. Marcia Gay Harden played
the role as Celeste. Celeste is Dave's wife in the movie, and did a
fantastic job acting scared, nervous, and suspicious of Dave's late
night out. Laura Linney as the role of Annabeth. In the film, Annabeth
is Jimmy's wife, and does an amazing job acting strong, tough, and very
protective. Then playing the role as Sean's partner Whitey is Laurence
Fishburne. In the movie she is a homicide detective and stands by
Sean's side trying to unravel the murder.Anyone who enjoys suspenseful, mysterious movies should watch this one.
Clint Eastwood did an amazing job not only getting the right actors for
this film, but an awesome job directing it. You could not ask for a
better movie. It has its twists and turn to keep you guessing on who
murdered Katie. This is one of my favorite movies. I can't believe how
the movie ended. I rate this movie a 10 out of 10!! Word Count: 522
Another Clint Classic
If anyone read my "Unforgiven" review, you will know that I am a Clint
Irish man from United States - 17 June 2009fan-boy, so I will try not to sound biased. This is my second favorite
Clint film, next to "Unforgiven." The film, like most Clint films,
embraces the consequences of violence and crime. It also focuses on
people with regrettable past and just wish that they could forget about
it, but they can't. The cast is flat-out incredible (except for Laura
Linney, who I thought could have done better). Sean Penn and Tim
Robbins provide convincing, uncompromising characters. Kevin Bacon, as
always, does just as well. The only negative to this wonderful mystery
thriller is certain unbelievable characters such as the Savage
brothers. That, however, is not really JUST my place to decide. Still,
I believe this should have been the Best Picture winner in place of
LOTR 3. Don't get me wrong the Return of the King was fantastic, but it
still didn't top this. Many people seem to complain about the ending
and all I can say (because I don't want to give away anything) is that
it would have been almost betrayal for Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) to act
against Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn) for what he did (in his own mind).
Also Devine implied he would eventually "get" Markum. I just wanted to
stop the naysayers here and now. Go see this regardless of whether
seeing it already because those who have seen it may enjoy it upon
second viewing, like in my case with "Iron Man." 9.5/10 stars
A very mysterious mystic river
The film opens with three childhood friends, Jimmy Markum, Sean Devine,
footballer239 from United States - 16 June 2009and Dave Boyle. In the summer of 1975, these young boys were on the
streets of Boston playing some hockey, when a few older guys came and
abducted Dave. He became a victim of sexual abuse for a few days until
he escaped. Still haunted by the past, Dave becomes a main victim in
the case of Katie's death. Reunited after the death of jimmy's
daughter, Katie, the three friends seem to find themselves closer than
they were before. Sean is the police detective on the case. He has to
deal with more than just the typical case files; he has to deal with
the victim's daughter, his old best friend.Jimmy has it sought in his head that he will find the person who had
murdered his daughter. A few suspects come up and then get dropped,
like her boyfriend. When they find out what gun the bullet came from,
an old suspect returns top at the list. The police said the gun
belonged to the boyfriend's father, who had a previous history with
crime.This film involved a lot of brain thinking and kept you guessing who
was the killer, the entire time. Having the film being portrayed in
Boston also made the film to be more believable. The length of the film
didn't come into mind at all because the story-line was so involved and
detailed that I was completely in the zone of the film the whole time.
I enjoyed that they made this film have a "dark" setting; this film
would not have had that "special something" if there were vibrant
colors all around.I did not enjoy the ending, only for the fact that everything unfolded
very quickly and then there was about ten minutes of film after the
story pretty much was done. There wasn't that much to not like, maybe
change a view characteristics about some characters, they all seemed to
be southern type of people living in the north.The actors did a great job with telling the story and sending its
message. It made it very believable to think that things like that do
truly exists, I just wish they didn't seem so well under educated.Overall, Mystic River was perhaps one of the top films I have seen to
date. To me it can be comparable to The Bone Collector, which is a
fantastic film. This was also the best film that Clint Eastwood has
directed and he captured everything so well. If you're into movies that
have a good mystery to it that keep you guessing all the way to the
unfolding of who did it, then Mystic River should be your next watch.
It has a great cast with Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, and Tim Robbins and
these guys know how to make a film worth watching. In my eyes this
movie deserves 9 out of 10.
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