Mystic River....Holy Crap...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

What a spectacular movie. Sean Penn is my new favorite Actor. I don't think I'd ever actually seen him in anything, but he was wonderful in this movie. What a sad story.
Have you seen it? What did you think?
Duckie

[KitchenWitch]

1. I saw that film!

I was raw inside for days afterward.

[dropkickpa]

2. The book was fantastic as well!!

I'm a big Dennis Lehane fan. They are turning another of his books into a movie, Gone Baby Gone. I can't wait!!

[YellowRubberDuckie]

3. I had no idea that it was a book first....

Wasn't it based on something? We cannot remember what, but we know it was.
Duckie

[dropkickpa]

4. The movie was based on the book

the book is just the product of Lehane's mind!

[graywarrior]

5. Isn't he great??!?!

[dropkickpa]

6. Oh Yeah!

I'm re-reading his books again right now!

[graywarrior]

8. Someone here mentioned that he is not going to write his Dorchester detective stuff anymore

Too bad. I like when he writes about Boston.

[dropkickpa]

9. So he says

He feels they were all getting a bit cartoonish (especially Bubba), but I'd like to see more.

[graywarrior]

21. No way. I know some Bubba's. I love that character.

[dropkickpa]

22. Me too!!!

[Rob H.]

26. Argh!

I loved the Pat Kenzie/Angela Gennarro books. :(

Oh, well--I'll feel better about it when someone makes Shutter Island into a movie. (Last I read it was bogged down in development.)

[devilgrrl]

29. You mean "Patrick"....

come now, you know he gets pissed when people call him Pat.

:silly:

[graywarrior]

38. There was some stupid horror movie named Shutter Island.

I thought is was the same thing, but different. That book was so great. I loved that it took place "back then." That detective had some issues.

[devilgrrl]

28. The book is waaaaaaay better too.

I've read all Lehane's books - excellent writer - great reads. :thumbsup:

[dropkickpa]

39. Definitely better

Gives a lot of the back story on the Penn character that was lacking in the movie, makes him MUCH more sympathetic.

[devilgrrl]

41. Exactly...

In the book you know that the Kevin Bacon character has Sean Penn in his cross hairs and will chase him to hell to get him. It leaves you with the sense of justice that the movie didn't capture which made it an infuriating experience.

[cwydro]

7. I saw it some years ago.

I think it was a great movie, but I hate movies like that.

[Joe Fields]

10. Thanks for reminding me. I'll have to see it.

I heard a lot about it when it came out. Sean Penn is a fine actor.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. My dear Duckie!

My husband and I both loved it!

Sean Penn is one hell of an actor.....

It is a very sad story, though, I agree....:hug:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

12. Great movie.

I even got the deluxe DVD with the score included for only $10. :D

[mitchum]

13. It was a handsome production

[av8rdave]

14. Great movie....I'm a Tim Robbins fan myself

[Lex]

15. I read the book, which was fantastic.

Didn't see the movie.

[swag]

16. I apologize for disliking it intensely,

to cop a line from Jean Jacques Burnel.

[BlueIris]

19. Go stand in the corner.

No, seriously: corner. There's a special cap there for folks who don't like "Mystic River" to wear. It's right next to the ones we made for people who don't like "The English Patient."

[mitchum]

25. You don't have to apologize to me...

I felt the same way.
"Handsome production" is the term I use for movies which are "good" merely because they aren't Van Damme or Adam Sandler movies. Sorta middlebrow, y'know?
There has been a ton of them in the past several years
Mystic River
The Hours
Crash
Elizabeth
Traffic
Gods and Monsters
Sideways
Good Will Hunting
and many many more

[Radio_Lady]

27. As I recall, the script didn't work for us, although Sean Penn did a good job.

I gave it a "B" on Ellen's Entertainment Report Card.

http://www.us.imdb.com/title/tt0327056/

Also, it was great to see the Boston locations, because my husband was born in Massachusetts and we lived there for almost 30 years together:

Filming locations for Mystic River (2003)
Bear dens, Long Crouch Woods, Franklin Park, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Border Street, East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Canton, Massachusetts, USA

Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA

Condor Street, East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
(abduction scene)

Costello's Package Store - 1084 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
(liquor store scene)

Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Doyle's Pub - 3484 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
(bar where Dave sees Jimmy's daughter)

Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Mattapan, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Miller's Market - 336 K Street, South Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Monmouth Street, East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
(parade scene)

South Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
(bar where Jimmy shoots Dave.)

Radio Lady (film reviewer in Portland, Oregon)

[Critters2]

30. You didn't like "Sideways"?

:wow:

[mitchum]

31. Well, it wasn't awful, but I just see no reason to ever watch that...

movie again. There's nothing nuanced about it. That's one of the factors in "handsome productions"

[Kat45]

17. Loved the movie, which I saw twice. Loved the book, which I'd already read.

I love Lehane's books. I've read them all except his last one. He's my cousin's brother-in-law and I got a signed copy of "Gone Baby Gone, which was just made into a movie. Ben Affleck had bought the rights to it and he filmed the movie in Boston last year. I don't know when the movie's coming out.

[BlueIris]

18. Penn is near perfect in that, but so is my beloved Kevin Bacon.

I wish he'd gotten more recognition for his performance in it, because: damn. If there's any line in movie history more affecting than, "Is that my daughter in there?" it's, "Hey, kid--you wanna point that toward the floor."

[Blue_Tires]

20. great movie, great performances (SPOILER)

i'm not from boston, so some of the nuance was lost on me...Penn's character, while well-developed, always seems to piss me off to the max for some reason---I always have to fight back the urge to yell at the screen "YOU PUNK MOTHERFUCKING SMALL-TIME FAKE-ASSED BITCH WITH YOUR ONE-SQUARE BLOCK TERRITORY AIN'T ABOUT SHIT!! YOU AND THOSE PUSSIES YOU CALL A CREW WOULDN'T LAST FOR 30 SECONDS DOWN SOUTH!!"


granted, I've never been a criminal, and i have no gang of my own, but that's what i always want to yell...strange, and i don't know the reason--maybe it's because of what happened to Tim Robbins' character in the end...Maybe sometimes i get too involved in good films, lol

[SPKrazy]

23. Sean Penn Is

a good actor!

great movie

:hi:

[Ava]

24. sad movie

that one scene with Penn(don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it) - gosh, i cried like a baby! :(

[Rabrrrrrr]

32. Sean Penn is unfortunately sadly underrated, and one of our true acting treasures.

The guy's fucking awesome, and he's getting better every movie.

[dropkickpa]

40. OMG yes

He's like a fine wine, much better with age. A far cry from Spicolli (though I love fast times still!)

[bigwillq]

33. It's a terrific movie

with top-notch performances and great direction by Eastwood. The end was a little loopy but overall it was outstanding.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

34. I agree about the ending...(spoiler)

I do however, like how Kevin Bacon just looked the other way because Sean was living in his own personal hell that jail could never compare to.
Duckie

[bigwillq]

36. My beef was with (spoiler)

the parade and Penn all tatted up making love..what was up with that? :shrug:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

37. His wife is psycho...

That's what I got from that.

[av8rdave]

35. Great movie, though I liked the book better.

I am a big Sean Penn fan, as well as Tim Robbins, so no complaints about the cast!