Mystic River
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Mystic River
Plot
Directed by Clint Eastwood, the mysterious drama Mystic River is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane and adapted by screenwriter Brian Helgeland. Set in an Irish neighborhood in Boston, Jimmy, Sean, and Dave are three childhood friends who are reunited after a brutal murder takes place. Reformed convict Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn) and his devoted wife Annabeth (Laura Linney) find out that their teenage daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum) has been beaten and killed. Jimmy's old friend Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) is the homicide detective assigned to the case, along with partner Whitey Powers (Laurence Fishburne). Jimmy also gets his relatives, the Savage brothers (Adam Nelson and Robert Wahlberg), to conduct an investigation of their own. Jimmy and Sean both start to suspect their old pal, Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins), who lives a quiet life with his wife Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) but harbors some disturbing secrets. Clint Eastwood won a Golden Coach for Mystic River at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, RoviReview
"The past is not dead; it is not even past," said William Faulkner, and that sentiment certainly applies to director Clint Eastwood's acclaimed intimate epic Mystic River. The film is a mournful and effective murder mystery, but beyond that, it is a wrenching character study and a trenchant exploration of the dark themes that have been prevalent in Eastwood's work throughout the later part of his directing career. Violence is rampant in Mystic River, and even when its consequences rip the souls from these characters, they do not learn from it. The film is a showcase for Sean Penn, playing Jimmy, an emotionally volatile ex-con who casts aside his efforts to live within the law when his beloved daughter is brutally murdered, and Tim Robbins' heartbreaking performance as Dave, a man broken by an insurmountable childhood trauma. These actors receive excellent support from Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne as the homicide detectives stoically investigating the crime and Thomas Guiry as the daughter's secretive boyfriend. Laura Linney and especially Marcia Gay Harden, as Jimmy and Dave's wives, respectfully, do excellent work, but the script falls short in fleshing out their characters' motivations. Gracefully shot (by Tom Stern) and edited (by longtime Eastwood collaborator Joel Cox), the film suffers from a somewhat contrived and familiar story line, but still manages to build up considerable emotional weight. While Mystic River is too uneven to rank with Eastwood's best work, its strong performances and uncompromising bleakness make for a powerfully moving cinematic experience. ~ Josh Ralske, RoviCast
- Sean Penn - Jimmy Markum
- Kevin Bacon - Sean Devine
- Tim Robbins - Dave Boyle
- Laurence Fishburne - Whitey Powers
- Marcia Gay Harden - Celeste Boyle
- Laura Linney - Annabeth Markum
Credit
Jack Gammon Taylor, Jr. - Art Director, Phyllis Huffman - Casting, Bruce Ricker - Consultant/advisor, Lennie Niehaus - Conductor, Deborah Hopper - Costume Designer, Robert Lorenz - First Assistant Director, Melissa Cummins Lorenz - First Assistant Director, Katie Carroll - First Assistant Director, Clint Eastwood - Director, Joel Cox - Editor, Bruce Berman - Executive Producer, Jerry Decarlo - Hair Styles, Kokayi Ampah - Location Manager, Clint Eastwood - Composer (Music Score), Boston Symphony Orchestra - Composer (Music Score), Tanglewood Festival Chorus - Composer (Music Score), Patrick Hollenbeck - Musical Arrangement, Maryellen James - Makeup, Stephen Campanelli - Camera Operator, David Norris - Camera Operator, Henry Bumstead - Production Designer, Tom Stern - Cinematographer, Clint Eastwood - Producer, Robert Lorenz - Producer, Judie G. Hoyt - Producer, Shawn Murphy - Recording, Richard C. Goddard - Set Designer, Adrian H. Gorton - Set Designer, Jann K. Engel - Set Designer, Dominic V. Ruiz - Special Effects, H. Barclay Aaris - Special Effects, Shawn Murphy - Sound Mixer, Walt Martin - Sound Mixer, Wade Wilson - Sound Editor, Buddy Van Horn - Stunts Coordinator, Massachusetts State Police - Technical Advisor, Det. Robert L. Manning - Technical Advisor, Jody Steiner - Technical Advisor, Timothy Alan Moore - Unit Production Manager, Brian Helgeland - Screenwriter, Robert Shoup - Sound Effects Editor, David Grimaldi - Sound Effects Editor, Jason King - Sound Effects Editor, Donald Harris - Music Editor, Karen Shaw - Production Coordinator, Christopher Boyes - Re-Recording Mixer, Michael Semanick - Re-Recording Mixer, Mable Lawson McCrary - Script Supervisor, Stephen Campanelli - Steadicam Operator, Bub Asman - Supervising Sound Editor, Alan Robert Murray - Supervising Sound Editor, Eileen Horta - ADR Editor, Andrea Horta - ADR Editor, David Boulton - ADR Mixer, Thomas J. O'Connell - ADR Mixer, Olivia Harris - Casting Associate, Lynda Foote - Costumes Supervisor, Gloria D'Alessandro - Dialogue Editor, Karen Spangenberg - Dialogue Editor, Robert Troy - Dialogue Editor, John Cucci - Foley Artist, David O'Connell - Foley Artist, Joseph DiVitale - Foley Editor, Carol O'Connell - Key Hairstylist, Tania McComas - Key Make-up, Dennis Lehane - Book Author, Juno J. Ellis - ADR Supervisor, James Ashwill - Foley Mixer, Pacific Title - Title Design| Mystic Pizza (1988 Film), Mystic Origins of the Martial Arts (Film) | |
| Mystic Spirits (Film), Mystics (1988 Film) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Mystic River (film)
| Mystic River | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster by Bill Gold |
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| Directed by | Clint Eastwood |
| Produced by | Clint Eastwood Robert Lorenz Judie G. Hoyt |
| Screenplay by | Brian Helgeland |
| Based on | Mystic River by Dennis Lehane |
| Starring | Sean Penn Tim Robbins Kevin Bacon Laurence Fishburne Marcia Gay Harden Laura Linney |
| Music by | Clint Eastwood |
| Cinematography | Tom Stern |
| Editing by | Joel Cox |
| Studio | Village Roadshow Pictures Malpaso Productions |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 137 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million[1][2] |
| Box office | $156,822,020 |
Mystic River is a 2003 American drama film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood, 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 Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name.
The film opened to widespread critical acclaim. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. Sean Penn won Best Actor and Tim Robbins won Best Supporting Actor, making Mystic River the first film to win both awards since Ben-Hur in 1959.
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Contents
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Plot
Three boys, Jimmy Markum, Sean Devine and Dave Boyle, play hockey in a Boston street in 1975. Spotting wet concrete, the boys commence writing their names into it when a car pulls up and two men, pretending to be police officers, get out, berate the boys for their actions, and tell Dave to get into the car. The men are pedophiles, and hold Dave captive and sexually abuse him for four days, until he escapes.
Twenty-five years later, the boys are now grown and, while they still live in Boston, have drifted apart. Jimmy (Penn) is an ex-con running a neighborhood store, while Dave (Robbins) is a blue-collar worker, still haunted by his abduction. The two are still neighbors and related by marriage. Jimmy's 19-year-old daughter Katie (Rossum) is secretly dating Brendan Harris, a boy Jimmy despises. She and Brendan are planning to run away together to Las Vegas.
Katie goes out for the night with her girlfriends 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 (Harden) helps him clean up. Dave claims that he fought off a mugger and "bashed his head into the concrete", and possibly killed him. Sean (Bacon), who is now a detective with the Massachusetts State Police, investigates Katie's murder. In a subplot, Sean's pregnant wife Lauren has left him.
Over the course of the film, Sean and his partner, Sergeant Whitey Powers (Fishburne), track down leads while Jimmy conducts his own investigation using his neighborhood connections. Sean discovers that the gun used to kill Katie was also used in a liquor store robbery during the 1980s by "Just Ray" Harris, the father of Katie's boyfriend. Harris has been missing since 1989, but Brendan claims he still sends his family $500 every month. Brendan also feigns ignorance about Ray's gun but Sean believes that it was still in the house. Sergeant Powers suspects Dave as a possible perpetrator because he was one of the last people to see Katie alive. He also has a wounded hand and even though he continues to tell his wife he got it while being mugged, he tells the police a different story – soon Jimmy becomes suspicious of it. Dave continues to behave strangely, which upsets his wife to the point she is afraid he will hurt her. While Jimmy and his associates conduct their investigation, Dave's wife eventually tells Jimmy about Dave's behavior and the bloody clothing and her suspicions.
Jimmy and his friends get Dave drunk at a local bar. When Dave leaves the bar, 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. Jimmy informs Dave that his wife thinks he murdered Katie and tells Dave that he will let him live if he confesses; if he does not he will kill him. Dave repeatedly tells Jimmy that he did kill someone but it was not Katie: he beat a child molester to death after finding him having sex with a child prostitute in a car. Jimmy does not believe Dave's claim and threatens him with a knife. When Dave finally admits to killing Katie thinking he can escape with his life, Jimmy kills him and disposes of his body in the adjacent Mystic River.
While Dave is being killed, Brendan (having found out about his father's gun during questioning) confronts his younger brother Ray Jr. and his brother's friend John about Katie's murder. He beats the two boys and threatens to kill them if they do not admit their guilt, but he is almost shot by John. Sean and Powers arrive 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 John O'Shea in a violent prank gone wrong: The kids got hold of Just Ray's gun and saw a car coming which happened to be Katie. John aimed the gun just to scare her but the gun went off by accident. The car veered onto the curb and Katie got out and ran into the park. Silent Ray and John pursued her so she wouldn't tell anyone. The beating Katie received was from Silent Ray who had a hockey stick. Once she was beaten, John shot her again, killing her. Sean asks Jimmy if he has seen Dave, because he is wanted for questioning in another case, the murder of a known child molester. 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's going to "send Celeste Boyle $500 a month too?". Sean reunites with his wife and his daughter Nora, after apologizing for "driving her away". Jimmy goes to his wife, Annabeth (Linney) and confesses. She comforts him and tells him that he is a king and that kings always make the right decision. At a town parade, Sean sees Jimmy, and mimics shooting him, to let Jimmy know he is watching.
Cast
In credits order.
- Sean Penn as Jimmy Markum
- Tim Robbins as Dave Boyle
- Kevin Bacon as Detective Sean Devine
- Laurence Fishburne as Detective Sergeant Whitey Powers
- Marcia Gay Harden as Celeste Boyle
- Laura Linney as Annabeth Markum
- Kevin Chapman as Val Savage
- Emmy Rossum as Katie Markum
- Adam Nelson as Nick Savage
- Robert Wahlberg as Kevin Savage
- John Doman as Driver
- Cameron Bowen as Young Dave Boyle
- Jason Kelly as Young Jimmy Markum
- Connor Paolo as Young Sean Devine
- Cayden Boyd as Michael Boyle
- Jonathan Togo as Pete
- Will Lyman as FBI Special Agent Birden
- Ari Graynor as Eve Pigeon
- Ken Cheeseman as Dave's Friend in Bar
- Michael McGovern as 1975 Reporter
- Kevin Conway as Theo (uncredited)
- Eli Wallach as Mr. Loonie (uncredited)
- Tom Guiry as Brendan Harris
Production
Mystic River's scenes were filmed on location in Boston.[2] Eastwood claimed that the three lead actors were his first choices for the roles.[2]
Release
Reception
Mystic River was well received by critics as well as viewers. The film has an 87% approval rating based on 191 reviews from critics at the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and an even higher rating of 95% from its "Top Critics".[3] At the website MetaCritic, which utilizes a normalized rating system, the film earned a rating of 84/100 ("universal acclaim") based on 42 reviews.[4] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote "Clint Eastwood pours everything he knows about directing into Mystic River. His film sneaks up, messes with your head, and then floors you. You can't shake it. It's that haunting, that hypnotic."[1] The Sun wrote that the film was "a haunting masterpiece and probably [Eastwood's] best film to date".[5]
Box office
The film earned $156,822,020 worldwide with $90,135,191 in the U.S. and $66,686,829 in the international box office, which is significantly higher than the film's $30,000,000 budget.[6]
Accolades
- Awards
- 76th Academy Awards:
- 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:
- 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)[7]
- 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), Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Sean Penn)
- Writers Guild of America: Best Adapted Screenplay (Brian Helgeland)
Home media releases
 |
The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (December 2010) |
The DVD was released on June 8, 2004 and 3 editions have been released:
- Full Screen Edition
- Widescreen Edition
- 3-Disc Deluxe Edition
The film has also been released on Blu-ray Disc, both sold separately and as a part of the Clint Eastwood collection.
References
- ^ a b Eliot (2009), p.307
- ^ a b c Hughes, p.153
- ^ "Mystic River: Top Critics". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mystic_river/?critic=creamcrop#mo. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^ "Mystic River (2003): Reviews". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/movie/mystic-river. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hughes, p. 155
- ^ "Mystic River". Box Office Mojo. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mysticriver.htm. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Mystic River". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4086166/year/2003.html. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
Bibliography
- Eliot, Marc (2009). American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood. Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-307-33688-0.
- Hughes, Howard (2009). Aim for the Heart. London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-902-7.
Further reading
- Ostermann, Eberhard. 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.
External links
- Official website
- Mystic River at the Internet Movie Database
- Mystic River at Box Office Mojo
- Mystic River at Rotten Tomatoes
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Ben-Hur |
Academy Award winner for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor | Succeeded by none |
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