Mystic River (2003)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Anchored by the exceptional acting of its strong cast, Mystic River is a somber drama that unfolds in layers and conveys the tragedy of its story with visceral power.
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Cast
as Jimmy Markum
as Dave Boyle
as Sean Devine
as Whitey Powers
as Celeste Boyle
as Annabeth Markum
as Val Savage
as Nick Savage
as Katie
as Young Dave
as John O'Shea
as State Trooper
as Sibling
as Cop at Barricade
as Esther Harris
as Michael
as Medical Examinder
as Dave's Friend
as Pete
as Silent Ray
as Driver
as Boston Police Officer
as Nadine Marcum
as Jimmy's Father
as Mr. Reed
as Eve Pigeon
as Sean's father
as Lauren Devine
as Brendan Harris
as Bartender
as Priest
as FBI Agent Birden
as Worker
as Nadine Markum
as Diane Cestra
as Drew Pigeon
as Boston Cop
as Boston Police Officer
as Police Detective
as Lieutenant Friel
as CSS Tech
as Kevin Savage
as Sara Marcum
as Lab Technician
as Spectator
as Trooper Jenny Coughlin
as Mrs. Prior
as Detective
as Loudmouth Cop
as Young Sean Devine
as Cop at Barricade
as Neighbor at Barricade
as Young Jimmy Markum
as Headstone Salesman
as Reporter
as Handcuffed Man
as Solicitor in Car
as '75 Police Officer
as '75 Reporter
as Helicopter Pilot
as Helicopter Pilot
as Liquor Store Owner [uncredited]
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Critic Reviews for Mystic River
All Critics (201) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (176) | Rotten (25) | DVD (20)
Violence and revenge have been a staple of Eastwood's work from the beginning, but here he explores his subject from a new, more ambiguous angle, with no regard for macho titillation.
It is in many ways Eastwood's tightest movie for some time, and certainly his darkest since Unforgiven; indeed, the ending offers as corrosive an assessment of the limits of American justice as anything in his career.
Sean Penn is so frighteningly good in this movie that he outdoes even the best of his earlier work.
Works as a straight-up detective story, and the acting is often breathtaking.
Too depressing to fill audiences with delight, but it does seem to validate questionable attitudes, especially an indifference to the suffering of innocent people and a willingness to shoot first and ask questions later.
Solid, rarely showy performances, meticulously recreated detective work and moments of pure unadulterated grief accent this whodunit, a movie that will have those who haven't read the book fooled for much of its length.
Audience Reviews for Mystic River
Super Reviewer
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Super Reviewer
Three childhood friends who share the memory of a traumatic event are brought together once more when one of their children is murdered. Clint Eastwood once again proves he is one of the best directors working in Hollywood with this extremely well acted and written crime drama. The characters on display are far more sophisticated than those found in your average mainstream thriller, and the top notch cast all get to demonstrate their thespian chops with plenty of meaty dialogue as Clint cranks up the suspense with consummate skill. I personally have always found Penn a little unconvincing and his performance here is a little over-ripe as well, but he is a suitably intense protagonist. Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne are totally believable as the detectives on the case, very much in the tradition of The Wire and Oscar winner Tim Robbins is the stand out as the traumatized abductee who is beginning to fear for his sanity. My one criticism would be that I thought that the epilogue killed the mood somewhat, but as a whole it is head and shoulders above the usual cop thriller fare.
Super Reviewer
Mystic River Quotes
| Sean Devine: | The reality...we're still 11 year old boys; locked in a cellar, imaging what our lives would've been if we'd escaped. |
| Sean Devine: | The reality - we're still 11 year old boys, locked in a cellar, imaging what our lives would've been if we'd escaped. |
| Dave Boyle: | Are things looking any better on that Sprite....Sean? |
| Jimmy Markum: | I remember, I was more afraid of my little daughter than I ever was of being in prison. |
| Jimmy Markum: | We bury our sins here, Dave. We wash them clean. |