Flashback: Passions Run Deep in Mystic River

The river has many depths. Let it wash over you.

Mystic River, a film of many depths, tells the story of three men, friends since childhood, who are reunited in tragedy. Tragedy overshadows their lives in many forms, across many generations; the loss of a daughter, of a childhood, and a wife. Based on the novel by the same name, the film was directed by Clint Eastwood, and stars Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. The film is a passionate, darkly intense, emotional drama with an heartfelt honesty filled with hope. With remarkably sincere performances, and beautiful on-location backgrounds of working-class Boston, Mystic River is a masterful portrait that is above all authentic. On top of receiving an Academy Awards nomination for best picture in 2003, both Sean Penn and Tim Robbins snagged the oscar for best leading role and supporting role for their breathtaking performances. 

Movie Moment: Sean Penn and Tim Robbins both give incredible performances. And each of them had their own moment. 

Is that my daughter in there? Sean Penn's performance as Jimmy Markum, a man with a troubled past, is riveting. The"is that my daughter" scene, and I can bet many agree, is a defining moment of the film. His portrayal in the scene of a man who's just lost a daughter is unbelievably honest. And it's not only his performance that makes the scene. The camera work amplifies it. A sea of police men swarm him, the camera swoops upwards, portraying a birds eye view shot enhancing the powerless vulnerable state of Jimmy.

The last time I saw Dave, was 25 years ago, going up the street in the back of that car. Tim Robbins portrayal as Dave, a man abducted and sexually abused as a child, a man who lost a part of himself, is also painfully authentic. Several times, they cut back to the shot of the sidewalk, reminding us of the incident of the abduction, as if the moment is stuck there forever. The meaning in the shot is chilling. Only half of Dave's name is carved, as if a part of him was taken that day. It reminds us that a moment can change your life forever.