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 | Police | Sexual Abuse | Childhood Friend | 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:
Mikey Kelley	...	Boston Cop (voice)
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)
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)

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

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

Also Known As:

Río místico (Argentina) (Mexico) (Panama) [es]
Mystic River (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Таинственная река (Russia) [ru]
Gizemli nehir (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Menneisyyden ote (Finland) [fi]
Misticna reka (Serbia) [sr]
Misticna rijeka (Croatia) [hr]
Mystic River (Japan) [ja]
Mystic River (Italy) [it]
Mystic River (Spain) [es]
Mystic River (Denmark) [da]
Mystic River (Germany) [de]
Skoteino potami (Greece) [el]
Sobre Meninos E Lobos (Brazil) [pt]
Tajemná reka (Czech Republic) [cs]
Tajomná rieka (Slovakia) [sk]

MPAA:

Rated R for language and violence.

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

USA

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 tune that the band is playing during the parade at the end of the movie is John Philip Sousa's "Semper Fidelis", which is Latin for "always faithful".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sean and his partner are in the car talking about how the gun used in the liquor store hold-up by Just Ray relates to the murder, Sean is seen loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt in the car. When they cut to a reverse shot (with the camera on Sean's side of the car) his tie and shirt are done up again. The shot is reversed again as Sean is seen getting out of the car and proceeds loosens his tie while outside the car this time.

Quotes:

Sean Devine: Do you remember the man's name?
Liquor Store Owner: Do I look senile to you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

Soundtrack:

Cosmo

Eastwood's next Oscar hit after "Unforgiven"

Eastwood's big Oscar hit after "Unforgiven", that other masterpiece directed by Dirty Harry himself. "Mystic River" is based on the bestselling novel by Dennis Lehane and it has an incredible cast. The main leads are for Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon. Furthermore we have Laurence "Morpheus" Fishburne, Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden. The movie itself is very dark and sober without much music. The story is brilliantly written and the acting is without any doubt superb.

I'm glad Sean Penn finally won an Academy Award, he's a brilliant actor and he certainly deserves the recognition. Tim Robbins was good as well, but I think Benicio del Toro should have won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. His performance in "21 Grams" was much more superior to Robbins' performance in "Mystic River". Anyway, that's just what I think. Kevin Bacon was excellent as well and he is one of the most underrated actors of his generation. Marcia Gay Harden and Laura Linney were good as usual.

Although I very much enjoyed this movie, it didn't exactly turned out to be the masterpiece I was expecting. But that's maybe because this was only the first time I watched it. Anyway, I'm still looking forward to see Eastwood's masterpiece of this year: "Million Dollar Baby". But this movie is absolutely worth seeing as well.

8,5/10