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characters are complex, interesting and
well-defined."
The film was shot on location in Boston, something about which Eastwood
was adamant. "I never seriously considered any other location. The city and
its neighborhoods are as much a part of this project as the actors. There is no
Mystic River anywhere else."
When news went out that Eastwood was directing the project, actors such
as Tim Robbins began calling to see if they could nab a role in the cast.
"The key ingredient in the film is Clint Eastwood," Robbins says.
"Clint is a true artist in every aspect." Sean Penn adds, "All of
us had the sense that Clint's storytelling would give the film a clear
humility."
"Murder mysteries are usually only about solving the crime,"
Eastwood says, describing what attracted him to this project. "In this case
the story shows how, beyond the murder, all of the participants' lives have been
altered by the crime. One gets to see the impact a violent act has had, many
years after the fact. It's a tragic circle - all three of these men have been
traumatized by the past. All became damaged goods."
The unresolved mutual past of these men relates directly to the present
and when the details of Katie's death slowly emerge, the seemingly senseless
crime threatens their futures as well. "The story is layered and as each
layer gets peeled off, more is revealed," explains Eastwood. "I'm
looking forward to people's reactions - the story is satisfying on so many
different levels."
- Alexandra Heilbron
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hen
they were kids growing up in a Boston blue-collar neighborhood, Jimmy (Sean
Penn), Sean (Kevin
Bacon) and Dave (Tim
Robbins) hung out together, getting into the same kinds of scrapes all
little boys get into. But when Dave is forced into a stranger's car and
doesn't return for several days, the incident becomes a defining moment in
their childhoods.