Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Sean Penn | ... | Jimmy Markum | |
Tim Robbins | ... | Dave Boyle | |
Kevin Bacon | ... | Sean Devine | |
Laurence Fishburne | ... | 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 | |
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Andrew Mackin | ... | John O'Shea |
Adam Nelson | ... | Nick Savage | |
Robert Wahlberg | ... | Kevin Savage | |
Jenny O'Hara | ... | Esther Harris | |
John Doman | ... | Driver |
In the summer of 1975 in a neighborhood in Boston, three kids, Dave Boyle and two of his friends, Jimmy Markum and Sean Devine, are playing on the sidewalk when Dave gets abducted by two men and endures several days of sexual abuse. Eventually, Dave escapes traumatized throughout adulthood. Jimmy is an ex-con and a father of three, whose daughter Katie, is found dead, and Dave becomes the number one suspect. Sean is a homicide detective, investigating Katie's murder, ends up finding himself faced with past and present demons as more is uncovered about Katie's murder. Learning Katie had a boyfriend, ballistics later turn up a gun belonging to the father, which then puts her boyfriend as the suspect. Will Sean find out who killed Katie? Will Jimmy make it through the investigation? And will Dave ever find out what really happened when he was abducted? Written by michigans_finest
This movie is a kick in the gut. Rarely is such a brilliant cast assembled, and even when it happens, rarely do they act like this. Tom Guiry (very impressive), Tim Robbins and Sean Penn show emotion that directors don't often stick in. And it comes off flawlessly. During a scene with Marcia Gay-Harden and Tim Robbins crying in their kitchen, there is an energy coming off of the screen that strikes you right in the chest. Which is really the way the whole movie works. It grabs you and shakes you, and makes you watch even when it can be painful to do so. The only reason that this film didn't win best picture is Return of the King. Any other year, and Mystic River has it. Eastwood's finest moment. Check it out--you won't be disappointed.