Mystic River (2003)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

Dennis Lehane (novel)
Brian Helgeland (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 October 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

We bury our sins, we wash them clean.

Plot:

With a childhood tragedy that overshadowed their lives, three men are reunited by circumstance when one loses a daughter.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Friend | Death | Ballistics | Gun

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 41 wins & 64 nominations

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Jimmy Markum
Tim Robbins	...	Dave Boyle
Kevin Bacon	...	Sean Devine
Laurence Fishburne	...	Sgt. Whitey Powers
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Celeste Boyle
Laura Linney	...	Annabeth Markum
Kevin Chapman	...	Val Savage
Tom Guiry	...	Brendan Harris (as Thomas Guiry)
Emmy Rossum	...	Katie Markum
Spencer Treat Clark	...	Silent Ray Harris
Andrew Mackin	...	John O'Shea
Adam Nelson	...	Nick Savage
Robert Wahlberg	...	Kevin Savage
Jenny O'Hara	...	Esther Harris
John Doman	...	Driver
Cameron Bowen	...	Young Dave Boyle
Jason Kelly	...	Young Jimmy Markum
Connor Paolo	...	Young Sean Devine
T. Bruce Page	...	Jimmy's Father (as Bruce Page)
Miles Herter	...	Sean's Father
Cayden Boyd	...	Michael Boyle
Tori Davis	...	Lauren Devine
Jonathan Togo	...	Pete
Shawn Fitzgibbon	...	Funeral Director
Will Lyman	...	FBI Agent Birden
Celine du Tertre	...	Nadine Markum
Ari Graynor	...	Eve Pigeon
Zabeth Russell	...	Diane Cestra
Joe Stapleton	...	Drew Pigeon
Susan Willis	...	Mrs. Prior
José Ramón Rosario	...	Lt. Friel (as Jose Ramon Rosario)
Tom Kemp	...	CSS Tech
Charley Broderick	...	Medical Examiner (as Charles Broderick)
Lonnie Farmer	...	Lab Technician
Celeste Oliva	...	Trooper Jenny Coughlin
Bates Wilder	...	Loudmouthed Cop
Douglass Bowen Flynn	...	Cop at Barricade
Bill Thorpe	...	Neighbor at Barricade
Matty Blake	...	Cop in Park
Ken Cheeseman	...	Dave's Friend in Bar
Scott Winters	...	Detective
Thomas Derrah	...	Headstone Salesman
Jim Smith	...	Reporter
Patrick Shea	...	Handcuffed Man
Duncan Putney	...	Solicitor in Car
Ed O'Keefe	...	Communion Priest
Dave Zee Garison	...	'75 Police Officer
Michael McGovern	...	'75 Reporter
Bill Richards	...	Helicopter Pilot
Michael Peavey	...	Helicopter Pilot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Bruno Borgman	...	Murder Scene Spectator (uncredited)
Paul Bronk	...	Detective (uncredited)
Kevin Conway	...	Theo (uncredited)
Richard DeAgazio	...	Church family member (uncredited)
James DeVoy	...	Parade Patron (uncredited)
Sean Patrick Doherty	...	Boston Cop (uncredited)
John Ferus	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Brian Frates	...	State Police Detective (uncredited)
John Joyce	...	Man in Fight Scene (uncredited)
Mikey Kelley	...	Walkie-talkie (voice) (uncredited)
Stephen Kyle	...	Shopper (uncredited)
Adam LaFramboise	...	Parade Spectator (uncredited)
Loy Lee	...	Bus Boy (uncredited)
Brett Murphy	...	Boy (uncredited)
Lance Norris	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Stephen O'Neil Martin	...	Boston Cop (uncredited)
Ryan Patrick	...	School boy (uncredited)
John Pungitore	...	Worker (uncredited)
Frank Ridley	...	Police Detective (uncredited)
Greg Stechman	...	Parade Spectator (uncredited)
Anthony Taurasi	...	Boston Cop (uncredited)
Jerry Trupiano	...	Baseball Announcer (uncredited)
J.T. Turner	...	Church Goer (uncredited)
Brian Van Kay	...	Police Detective (uncredited)
Marc Vos	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Eli Wallach	...	Mr. Loonie, Liquor Store Owner (uncredited)
Jillian Wheeler	...	Sara Markum (uncredited)
Brian White	...	State Trooper (uncredited)
Kris Williams	...	Spectator (uncredited)

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits (WGA)
Dennis Lehane		(novel)
Brian Helgeland		(screenplay)

Produced by
Bruce Berman	....	executive producer
Clint Eastwood	....	producer
Judie Hoyt	....	producer (as Judie G. Hoyt)
Robert Lorenz	....	producer

Original Music by
Clint Eastwood

Cinematography by
Tom Stern		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Joel Cox

Casting by
Phyllis Huffman

Production Design by
Henry Bumstead

Art Direction by
Jack G. Taylor Jr.

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard

Costume Design by
Deborah Hopper

Makeup Department
Jerry DeCarlo	....	hair stylist
Mary Ellen James	....	makeup artist (as Maryellen James)
Tania McComas	....	key makeup artist
Carol A. O'Connell	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Tim Moore	....	unit production manager (as Timothy Alan Moore)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Katie Carroll	....	second second assistant director
Melissa Cummins Lorenz	....	second assistant director
Robert Lorenz	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Bobby Anderson	....	picture car coordinator
Anthony Aveta	....	foreman: workers team
James Champoux	....	propmaker
Margaret Cox	....	art department coordinator
Ken Doyle	....	set dresser (as Kenneth J. Doyle Jr.)
Ken Doyle	....	set dresser
Jann K. Engel	....	set designer (as Jann Engel)
Jennifer Engel	....	set dresser
Glen R. Feldman	....	assistant property master
Julia Garrison	....	painter
Jennifer Gerbino	....	props
Paul W. Gorfine	....	stand-by painter
Adrian Gorton	....	set designer
Jane Gulick	....	property assistant
Kirk D. Hansen	....	head painter
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator (as Michael A. Muscarella)
Beth Peterson	....	set dresser
Eugene Pope	....	carpenter
Eugene Pope	....	welder
Sandra Renfroe	....	swing gang (as Sandi Armstrong-Renfroe)
David Rotondo	....	propmaker
Mike Rutgard	....	swing gang (as Michael S. Rutgard)
Kenny Sanford	....	construction general foreman
John Schacht	....	lead person (as John A. Schacht)
Robert Schleinig	....	set dresser
Theodore Suchecki	....	construction foreman: Boston (as Ted Suchecki)
Dean Wilson	....	property master
Jack Coyle	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Bub Asman	....	supervising sound editor
Christopher Boyes	....	sound re-recording mixer
William Cawley	....	assistant sound editor (as Bill Cawley)
Bradley Clouse	....	assistant sound editor
Lucy Coldsnow-Smith	....	supervising dialogue editor
John T. Cucci	....	foley artist (as John Cucci)
Gloria D'Alessandro	....	dialogue editor
Flash Deros	....	boom operator
Joe Divitale	....	foley editor (as Joseph DiVitale)
Kelly Doran	....	utility sound
Michael Dressel	....	supervising foley editor
Juno J. Ellis	....	adr supervisor
Juno J. Ellis	....	supervising adr editor
Sean England	....	machine room operator
David Grimaldi	....	sound effects editor
Andrea Horta	....	adr editor
Eileen Horta	....	adr editor
Jason King	....	sound effects editor
Walt Martin	....	production sound mixer
Walt Martin	....	sound mixer
Matthew C. May	....	assistant sound editor
Alan Robert Murray	....	supervising sound editor
Blu Murray	....	apprentice sound editor
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer
George Peterson Jr.	....	sound re-recordist
Sonny Pettijohn	....	assistant adr editor
Mark Purcell	....	machine room operator
Michael Semanick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Shoup	....	sound effects editor
Karen Spangenberg	....	sound editor
Tyler Stephens	....	additional sound utility
Gary Summers	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Troy	....	dialogue editor
Wade Wilson	....	sound designer
Carl D. Ware	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
H. Barclay Aaris	....	special effects
William 'Billy Jack' Jakielaszek	....	special effects technician
Steve Riley	....	special effects director (as Steven Riley)
Dominic V. Ruiz	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Mark Freund	....	visual effects supervisor: Pacific Title
Max Gabl	....	scenic artist
Brad Kalinoski	....	digital compositor
Jennifer Law-Stump	....	digital effects artist: Pacific Title Digital
Darin McCormick-Millett	....	digital opticals producer
Liz Radley	....	video and graphics supervisor (as Elizabeth Radley)
James D. Tittle	....	digital visual effects coordinator: Pacific Title
Bob Wiatr	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Paul Marini	....	stunt performer
John Vincent Mason	....	stunts
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Woody Bell	....	rigging grip
Buzzy Burwell	....	set lighting technician
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	camera operator
Mark J. Casey	....	rigging electric best boy
Bill Coe	....	assistant camera
Scott D. Davis	....	rigging gaffer
Ross Dunkerley	....	gaffer
Shawn Greene	....	grip
Dan Hutchinson	....	rigging electrician
Brendan Keefe	....	electrician
John Lacy	....	best boy electric
Bobby McMahan	....	assistant camera (as Robert A. McMahan)
Tim Metivier	....	first assistant camera
David Norris	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Philip A. Reilly	....	electrician
Daryl Richardson	....	best boy rigging grip
Shayna Ritenour	....	camera loader
Charles Saldana	....	key grip (as Charles Sadana III)
T. Daniel Scaringi	....	key rigging grip
Wayne Simpson	....	lighting technician
Bruce D. Spellman	....	grip
Andrew Towne	....	electrician (as Andy Towne)
William Trautvetter	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Doug Wall	....	best boy grip (as Douglas L. Wall)
Charles W. Wayt	....	dolly grip (as Chuck Wayt)
Merie Weismiller Wallace	....	still photographer (as Merie W. Wallace)
Jason Bowen	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
Brian Corbett	....	rigging grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Mary L. Agnes	....	extras casting assistant
Matt Bouldry	....	location casting assistant: Boston
Olivia Harris	....	casting associate
Geoffrey Miclat	....	casting assistant
Carolyn Pickman	....	location casting: Boston
Jodi Purdy-Quinlan	....	extras casting assistant: Boston (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brian Callahan	....	costumer
Ann Culotta	....	costumer
Lynda Foote	....	costume supervisor
Parrish Kennington	....	costume ager/dyer
Mem Macafee	....	costumer
Deborah Newhall	....	costumer
Julie Shack	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Michael Cipriano	....	assistant editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Bob Kaiser	....	color timer
Gary Roach	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Donald Harris	....	music editor
Patrick Hollenbeck	....	orchestrator
Gennady Loktionov	....	special musical arrangements
Shawn Murphy	....	scoring mixer
Lennie Niehaus	....	conductor
Lennie Niehaus	....	orchestrator
Craig Pettigrew	....	assistant music editor
Bruce Ricker	....	music consultant

Transportation Department
Denise Avallon	....	driver
Keith Dillin	....	transportation coordinator
Roy A. Grace	....	driver
Jennifer McGaffigan	....	transportation office coordinator
William O'Brien	....	driver
Alana Stelling	....	driver
Larry Stelling	....	transportation captain (as Larry L. Stelling)

Other crew
Kokayi Ampah	....	supervising location manager
Marco Barla	....	unit publicist
Michael Bilog	....	second assistant accountant (as Michael I. Bilog)
Robert Cable	....	first assistant production accountant
Ken Dubinski	....	technical advisor: Massachussets State Police
Khadj Edison	....	production assistant
Ashaki 'Saki' Fenderson	....	production assistant
Mark Fitzgerald	....	assistant location manager
Joe Gagnepain	....	location assistant
Jason Gondek	....	production accountant
Susan Grennan	....	production assistant
Pam Jack	....	location scout
Mark David Katchur	....	project coordinator (as Mark D. Katchur)
Tony Kerum	....	caterer
Don Kincade	....	set production aide (as Donald A. Kincade)
Micki Krimmel	....	production assistant
Mable Lawson-McCrary	....	script supervisor
Stephen L'Heureux	....	assistant to director
Stephen L'Heureux	....	location scout
Deana Lou	....	assistant: Mr. Eastwood
James MacDonald	....	on-set medic
Robert L. Manning	....	technical advisor: Massachussets State Police
Christine M. Michalosky	....	technical advisor: Boston Police Department
Adam Monahan	....	production assistant
Greg Newman	....	production assistant
Michael Peavey	....	helicopter pilot
Scooter Perrotta	....	set production assistant
Todd Poudrier	....	stand-in: Sean Penn
Kim Quam	....	set medic
Liz Radley	....	video and graphics supervisor
Luke Ramsey	....	assistant location manager
Nadia Randazzo Bombino	....	third assistant accountant (as Nadia Randazzo)
Bill Richards	....	helicopter pilot
Stephanie Ritenour	....	set production aide
Michael Roccuzzo	....	payroll accountant
Jenniphur Ryan	....	assistant production office coordinator
Karen Shaw	....	production coordinator (as Karen E. Shaw)
Jody Steiner	....	technical advisor: sign language
Donovan Terranova	....	assistant location manager
Tyrel Ventura	....	set assistant: Sean Penn
Brenda Vivian	....	production assistant
Chuck Webb	....	set production aide
Stephanie M. Webster	....	office production assistant
Bryan Farrell Wilson	....	stand-in
Brian Paul Carlson	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Ptah Shabaf	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Village Roadshow Pictures (in association with)
• NPV Entertainment (in association with)
• Malpaso Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2003) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2003) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinergia (2003) (Ukraine) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2003) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (2003) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2008) (Finland) (TV)
• Net5 (2007) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vidéo (2004) (France) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Pacific Title (opticals)

Other Companies

• Avid Film Composer  Avid editing
• Avon Studio Transport  transportation
• Boston Fire Department  thanks
• Boston Red Sox  thanks
• Boston Symphony Orchestra  orchestra
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• City of Boston  thanks
• City of Canton, Massachussets  thanks
• City of Chelsea  thanks
• Columbia TriStar  thanks (John Carpenter's 'Vampires' courtesy of)
• Intermedia  thanks (John Carpenter's 'Vampires' courtesy of)
• Kodak  film stock
• Location Lodging Worldwide  travel and accommodations
• Major League Baseball Properties  baseball footage courtesy of
• Major League Baseball  trademarks
• Malpaso Records  soundtrack published by
• Massachusetts Film Office  special thanks
• Massachusetts State Police  thanks
• Massachussetts Port Authority  thanks
• NEEI Radio Network  thanks
• Panavision  lighting
• Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common  thanks
• Sequoia Illumination  lighting
• Sheraton Boston Hotel  thanks
• Symphony Hall, Boston  music recorded at
• Tanglewood Festival Chorus  orchestra
• The Saturday Evening Post  licence (as The Saturday Evening Post Society)
• Tony's Food Service  catering
• Vista Group  thanks
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack published by

MPAA:

Rated R for language and violence.

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut) | India:A | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (bw) | Italy:T | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #39873)

Filming Locations:

Bear dens, Long Crouch Woods, Franklin Park, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The studio executives at Warner Brothers wanted Clint Eastwood to shoot the film in Toronto, Canada to save money. Eastwood refused and pushed to have the film completely shot in Boston where the film is set.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Jimmy is pouring himself a drink, the sound of pouring liquid continues, although the level of the drink in his glass ceases to rise.

Quotes:

Jimmy Markum: This part... you do alone.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Mystic River: From Page to Screen (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Mystic River

Falls sort of greatness but superb nonetheless

Lovers of great acting had best not pass up 'Mystic River,' Clint Eastwood's powerful, award-laden adaptation of Dennis Lehane's best-selling novel. Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon play three working class Bostonians forever bound together by a mutual childhood tragedy that has since gone on to define the kind of people they've become and the kind of lives they've led. The film begins with a brief prologue as we see the three youngsters - Jimmy, Sean and Dave - out playing in the street one day, when they are confronted by a pedophile who, posing as a policeman, tricks one of them, Dave, into getting into the car with him and another man. Fast forward to the present as we pick up the trio as grown men who have, for all intents and purposes, gone their separate ways. Penn is Jimmy Markum, a former petty thief who spent two years in the slammer but who has since turned straight and now owns a neighborhood liquor store. When Jimmy's daughter from his first marriage turns up murdered, the three men's lives intersect in ways they could never have imagined. Bacon is Sean Divine, a homicide detective assigned to the case, and Robbins is Dave Boyle, a sporadically employed man who may be a prime suspect in the murder. Dave still lives with the trauma of that earlier soul-shattering experience, while Jimmy and Sean wrestle with why they managed to escape the cruel finger of fate that pointed so grimly at their hapless playmate. The film is about how the events of our early lives (and, in the case of Jimmy, it doesn't stop at this one incident) can end up coming back to haunt us later down the road.

The Brian Helgeland screenplay makes the pain that each of these men experiences vivid and palpable. The grief Jimmy feels over the loss of his beloved child, the psychological torment Dave suffers as a result of his abuse, and the bewilderment and loneliness Sean experiences from a failed marriage all become integral to this dark tale of bitterness, revenge and attempted healing. At times, we do find ourselves wishing that the script would concentrate less on the details of the murder investigation and more on the inner workings of the three main characters. Too often we feel as if we are only scratching the surface of the roiling psychological torment taking place deep in the bowels of these men. The plotting, particularly towards the end, often feels more contrived than it needs to be, with heavy-handed ironies and obtruding parallelisms that don't seem to know when to leave well enough alone. Laura Linney, as Jimmy's second wife, has a key Lady Macbeth moment late in the film that might have been effective had we been more fully prepared for it and had her character been more thoroughly developed throughout the course of the film. As it is, the scene seems to come out of nowhere and leaves us both bewildered and hanging.

Still, these are minor quibbles when it comes to a movie as finely acted and directed as this one is. Penn hits all the right notes as a man facing the worst experience life could possibly throw at a person - the murder of one's child - trying to make sense of a tragedy that defies any rational explanation. Robbins beautifully underplays the role of a man scarred forever by what happened to him in his youth, now endeavoring to function as an adult when he was robbed of any semblance of a childhood. Bacon is excellent as the man who attempts to put all the pieces together, not only of the case but of the shattered lives he and his two buddies have been living all these years, and Marcia Gay Harden is outstanding as Dave's loving wife who struggles with what is perhaps the greatest moral dilemma faced by any character in the movie. Linney, Lawrence Fishburne and Tom Guiry offer fine supporting performances.

As director, Eastwood allows his superb cast ample time to develop their characters, never hurrying the proceedings along and always allowing the conversations to play themselves out. He recognizes the quality of the material and feels no need to gussy it up with self-conscious camera angles or fancy editing. He also uses the bleak settings of blue collar Boston as an effective backdrop to the stark, chilly tale he is telling.

Perhaps it is just an odd coincidence that three of the very best movies of 2003 - '21 Grams,' 'The House of Sand and Fog' and 'Mystic River' - all suffer from the same tendency on the part of the filmmakers to move away from reality and towards melodrama and contrivance in the final act. Of the three, '21 Grams' and 'The House of Sand and Fog' are harmed less by this than 'Mystic River' because they have a somewhat deeper thematic base and richer character development than does the Eastwood film. Still, 'Mystic River' is a mighty impressive achievement for those who made it and a rich, memorable experience for those who see it.