Filmmaker reacts to Mystic River (2003) for the FIRST TIME!

[@meganlynn83]

This movie is BRUTAL. Sean Penn is incredible. "Is that my daughter in there?!" Will ALWAYS make me cry. 🥺

[@Afrohairlicious]

I will never forget that scene. One of the most heartbreaking death reactions I've ever seen in a movie

[@serial92989]

That scene alone; incredible

[@stevenmonte7397]

@@Afrohairlicious Reminds me of House of Sand and Fog (won't say the part to ruin it if you haven't seen it).

[@meganlynn83]

Holy shiz! James pinned my comment! I feel like such a dork for my excitement! 😂

[@jimmyrocha8417]

This is one of those films that left me sitting in silence for a couple of minutes after it finished.

[@playedout148]

Clint Eastwood loves his slapstick humor. This, Million dollar baby.

[@freeheeler00]

@@playedout148 lol

[@Mickey-1994]

Sean Penn letting out those screams when he knows it is his daughter was so powerful. Eastwood really did a great job as a director here.

[@codename617]

And to think, Dennis Lehane did NOT want to turn Mystic River into a movie. But Clint kept asking him "If you did"

[@liamgallagher3833]

Man, this is easily my favorite Clint Eastwood film. That ending is insane

[@jculver1674]

Clint had such an amazing run as filmmaker during this period - Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, American Sniper, Letters From Iwo Jima - so many absolute bangers, all of them so different from each other that it's hard to believe they have the same director.

[@kylegacy]

Deserves all of the praise. Dennis Lehane - who wrote the novel - writes a lot of stories about the loss of innocence. The opening scene happened to him as a child, thankfully he escaped the car. A lot of his works have been made into great films: Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island, The Drop. Wrote for The Wire, created Black Bird. Makes a cameo near the end, at the parade, waving from the convertible. Speaking of cameos, I sometimes wonder if Penn's performance in this was influenced by Mickey Rourke's cameo in The Pledge, which Penn directed a few years earlier. Seriously, check it, if you want to see Rourke convey a torrent of grief, despair, denial and longing in just two minutes, so traumatic and moving in fact it even left his co-star Jack Nicholson speechless.

[@MauricioDelaRosa-db7rr]

The liquor store owner is Eli Wallach Clint's co-star in The Good The Bad And The Ugly he played the unforgettable Tuco.

[@mikeyben7]

What a heavy script! My father showed me this when I started getting into concepts and this one is fire💜

[@kingv1331]

Would recommend the film "Sleepers". Has an all star cast and is a great dramatic movie.

[@issi529]

Mystic river was better imo.

[@rachaelhogan7850]

Oh yes that movies brilliant to.

[@rachaelhogan7850]

@@issi529I agree but sleepers is not far behind there both good films.

[@colleenabood8775]

Great and horrible movie but yes, awesome cast

[@leroystea8069]

It had been a long time since seeing this originally and much I had forgotten about. Truly amazing script, dialog and the choice of actors/actresses in this totally made this film what it was. Glad you did your talk about this, awesome perspectives. This reminds me a little bit of In The Heat Of The Night, when you didn't really understand who the killer was until the last moment.

[@Ross__A]

I know I'm late on catching this reaction but mannnn this movie is so good. This was one of the first movies that I was consciously aware was more than just a movie but instead a GREAT film. I saw it three times in theater when it came out. I remember trying to tell everyone I could about it and they just looked at me with blank stares. It's hard to believe it's been over 20 years since it's come out. Thanks for the reaction James and I'll catch ya on the next intro haha.

[@shesemerald2011]

I saw this movie after my daughter was born. And was wrecked. To this day the scene when Sean Penns character finds out about his daughter, that scream is haunting.

[@justinbarnett9476]

That and the scene in Hereditary when Toni Collette finds her daughter’s dead body. The screams and cries of “I just want to die” are so realistic.

[@mikemoore4033]

This is Eastwood’s Magnum Opus. Very hard to watch, way harder to rewatch. This is what film should be.The essence of tragedy, the bad end unhappily, the good unluckily.

[@CT.1982]

The liquor guy who flashed his gun was played by Eli Wallach(Tuco/The Ugly). Clint helping his old friend

[@that.ll_do_pig]

Loved the book. The movie did a good job with the material. The epilogue added some insight into Penn's character's feelings about his decision.

[@JamesVSCinema]

What a gripping story this turned out to be... Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a great day!

[@candyapu3]

James! If you want to stick to the Romance/Mystery angle you should watch The Illusionist (2006)!

[@AndrewJens]

Did you notice in the closing credits who wrote the music?

[@bestbuy208]

You should watch the series Hannibal w/ Mads Mickelson and Lawrence Fishburn

[@jlerrickson]

If you haven't seen "Little Children" (2006), I highly recommend it. Technically a drama romance, it completely transcends the genre and leaves one feeling very unsettled.

[@КиануДепп]

Bad Boys (1983)❤❤❤

[@cripplermaximus]

Great flick. I used to teach a college screenwriting class and used the novel, script, and movie in the course.

[@WorldwideWyatt]

This is one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen, the acting and direction were absolutely top notch.

[@AmonRa1081]

Great pick as always James! Love your commentary and great analysis. Such an amazing and heartbreaking flick.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Thanks a ton!

[@matthewjaco847]

Part of the brilliance of this story is that it waits so long to actually confirm to the characters that the daughter is dead (I believe about an hour into the film). A lesser movie would have rushed to it within the first few minutes. But because you’ve spent so much time with the characters and have gotten close to them, when Sean Penn screams from his guts, “Is that my daughter in there?!” you feel every ounce of it

[@HC_YT]

Movies based on Dennis Lehane novels go hard. He also wrote Gone Baby Gone and Shutter Island…. And a very underrated gem THE DROP with Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini

[@BloodSportA2]

Powerful film, and even without the mystery element on rewatch I think it still resonates really well with the melancholy you feel from looking back and seeing how much old experiences or trauma still influence your life even years later. Sean is the one who "got out" of the old neighborhood, but will never shake his connection to it completely, and what happened to Dave is probably a big reason he became a cop at all. Dave had his childhood ripped from him in just four days' time, leaving scars so deep that even as an adult he can't quite bridge the gap and really express what he's struggling with, even to his wife. Jimmy assimilated and became the big boss guy, but even with all his influence he can't stop losing things to it (his wife, time with his family by being in prison, his daughter). And then this crime that started out as a total accident, where the kids were initially just messing around and only ran into Katie by chance, kicks a powder keg over all these old wounds that ultimately ends in even more tragedy for the survivors to carry with them.

[@dahliaherrod4301]

Laura Linney is a damn good actress. She normally plays uptight mom roles but she scared me in this film. She's such a cold-hearted savage, especially in that last shot. Linney needs to get more credit for her work.

[@michele36618]

She’s a great actress in everything she’s in. I was telling my sister a few months ago the same exact thing….she doesn’t get the attention she deserves. She’s one of my favorite actresses. She’s also amazing in Ozark !!

[@dahliaherrod4301]

@@michele36618 See now I need to see Ozark. You clearly have good taste!

[@bajjanitor]

She plays this type of character brilliantly, that's for sure.

[@DavidAntrobus]

She went full-on Lady Macbeth in that scene. Pure Shakespearean tragedy.

[@LittleBlueOwl318]

@@michele36618 Have you seen her in "The Life of David Gale"? Stellar!!

[@comedyriff5231]

Fun fact: The old man in the liquor store with the shotgun under the counter is the actor that played 'The Ugly' in 'The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly'. So a nice reunion with Clint Eastwood.

[@ndimes5606]

Honestly, even tho it was canceled after 3 seasons, I think you'd love the tv show "The Following." It has Kevin Bacon as the lead

[@issi529]

Underrated show for sure.

[@rickyashworth6950]

Everything about this movie easily makes it one of my all time favorite movies. Eastwood’s direction was nothing short of iconic and legendary which is what we have come to expect from him. The acting was so spot on incredible from Penn’s Oscar winning performance to the background work of Robbins and Bacon. The script was obviously mind blowing and brought out the best of the director and cast. Edge of your seat entertainment from start to finish.

[@tiafielding]

This movie is one of my favorite dramas of its time. The other super memorable one is Sleepers (1996). If you haven't watched it yet, I so recommend it. Similarly heavily themed, amazing performances of a superb cast of characters.

[@Bluemgwes]

One of the great films made by Clint Eastwood. The man is a master storyteller. The acting, writing, and directing in this film is something to study for any filmmaker.

[@danhuyck527]

When I first saw this in a theatre, my impression was this was a group of extraordinary actors in what could have been a typical tv police drama.

[@02michellemybell02]

Hope all is well . Always love your reactions. Keep up the great work .🙂

[@tornoutlaw]

Loved this movie when I saw it in the theater. But I wasn't aware that Emmy Rossum (Shameless) played the daughter here.

[@Jared_Wignall]

This is an incredible film. Clint Eastwood is one of the best filmmakers around and this is a film that I will watch every so often as it’s an incredible story with incredible performances. It’s awesome you watched this James, I hope you’re doing well. Have a great weekend and take care!

[@jalojenkins8316]

My best friend showed me this film when I was like 17-18 and it stuck with me so hard. It's such a brutal but amazing story that does parallel real events all the time.

[@vendelayindustries]

The movie that made me realize what a great director Clint Eastwood is. This, along with "Changeling" (also by Clint) are still among the best movies I've ever seen. I want to recommend Changeling. Have your tissues ready.

[@MH90]

Changeling is so underrated. It gets pigeonholed as Angelina Jolie Oscar bait but there's so, so much more to it than that.

[@vendelayindustries]

@@MH90 Agree. I think the only other film I've seen her in is Tomb raider, wich is completely different in comparison. Changeling is a masterpiece.

[@Mickey-1994]

Clint was really kicking a@@ as a director in the 1990s and 2000s. Perfect World is criminally underrated.

[@rxtsec1]

I think she has a Oscar. But she sure tried for another

[@louielouie22]

Sean Penn's heart wrenching scene. Wooow so powerful.

[@sadie608]

Mystic River was the first Lehane I ever read, and it was so good I binge read all of his books back to back. Such a good writer .

[@cherizar1854]

This movie is based on a novel written by Denis Lehane, who is a GREAT crime novelist, much better than he gets credit for. A lot of people don't know things like Shutter Island were written by him. He was a social worker before he became a writer, so he isn't afraid to touch upon themes such as abuse and mental illness and he does it in a very truthful way because of his experience working real life cases. Personally, I'd really recommend a hidden gem which is also based on one of his novels called Gone Baby Gone, directed by Ben Affleck and starring his brother Casey Affleck. I think it presents one of the most gut-wrenching moral dilemmas of our time.

[@mountainbikemayhem1833]

Between the 3 friends, the 2 wives, and L. Fishburn…the acting was so amazing that Kevin Bacon’s performance seemed pedestrian by comparison, and he was good too. Sean Penn, Tim Robbin’s, and Marcia Gay Harden were amazing

[@akelly4207]

Kevin Bacon isn’t a showy actor, he never gets the scene stealing moments, the memorable lines but he adds a great level to the base of any movie.

[@codename617]

Mystic RIver is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane. It's set in the fictional Boston neighborhood of East Buckingham. They filmed it in parts of East Boston, South Boston, and I think the town of Medford and some other surrounding neighborhoods and towns. The street where Dave gets kidnapped and later where Jimmy and Sean last speak is Condor Street in East Boston. I grew up in and still live in East Boston. In the end of the book, the part where they kill Dave was set under the Tobin Bridge (aka Mystic RIver Bridge) in the town of Chelsea. Also the Tobin Bright was where Charles Stewart took a dive off of after his brother told the cops that he killed his wife and not some imaginary black guy.

[@damorrito]

James spotting Kevin Bacon MID-CELEBRATION of spotting Laurence Fishburne is the stuff good reaction channels are made of

[@JamesVSCinema]

You get it fam 🤙🏽

[@BanditHeelerOhBiscuits]

That scene with Sean Penn being held back with Kevin Bacon only being able to look at him feels too real.

[@mikespires6091]

Definitely one of my all time favorites. It was such an emotional rollercoaster.

[@danielchavez4403]

Hey James, Highly recommend "Million Dollar Baby" (2004) and "Richard Jewell" (2019). Also Directed by Clint Eastwood.

[@mikeanderson623]

Irish kid, born in Dorchester not even 10 mins down the road. Hot take…best Boston movie right here. Love your takes fam. Can’t wait for the end of Mr. Robot!

[@dannysr.7123]

I loved seeing Eli Wallach (good bad and the ugly) in this movie as well, awesome movie !

[@the.sketch.projekt8851]

Hopefully, you’ll do Gone Baby Gone next. It’s based upon a story of the same name written by the guy who also wrote Mystic River and Shutter Island.

[@kevincragun5853]

One of my favorite movies! Love the performances. Great book too!

[@robdilauro4344]

That scene with Sean Penn is so intense and Oscar worthy, but it was probably like him freaking out and Clint saying, "Alright, let's go" and packing up lol. Clint is notorious for one-shot take filmmaking, get it right the first time or don't, he doesn't care. You should hear the stories from The Changeling, and Tom Hanks once said that Clint shoots human actors like horses in old westerns.

[@Drd0229]

Such a great movie! So sad. I like that at no point did it feel like a movie it felt very real. Great acting! Ty for your reaction

[@jculver1674]

Most crime movies and shows focus on the cops and criminals, and often neglect to include the survivors in the story, except briefly. So I really appreciate a story like this that focuses so much on the survivors and their grief and desire for justice. (Another good example is the TV show The Killing.) I wish Hollywood did that more often.

[@abemrofchak]

This is one of my favorite comedies.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Insanity lmfao

[@1998Cebola]

Yeah, it's genuinly awful as a drama, incredible as an unintentional comedy.

[@atrus3823]

Clint Eastwood is crazy talented. He directed this, but also did the score.

[@jimmyvhs]

It's gonna be a tragic day when we lose Clint Eastwood, absolute legend in cinema. This film felt so "human" is the best way I can describe it. The people and their reactions all felt so real, the story itself is so tragic that it aligns itself pretty well to real life unfortunately. Great stuff James!

[@cyberpunkspacejams]

An overlooked Clint Eastwood film you have to check out is CHANGLING. Great crime drama set in 1930's LA with Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich.

[@jfgibson73]

Do you think that part of the reason why Dave told Jimmy that he did it was to give Jimmy the closure he needed? Dave could probably see that confessing would mean his ass, but maybe he was just ready for his pain to end. And since he was on his way out, maybe he figured he'd kill two birds with one stone--confess he killed Katie so that Jimmy wouldn't be tormented the rest of his life wondering who did it?

[@blunt2416]

If you like this then you will also like "Gone Baby Gone"-2007.

[@StephaneFraisse]

Dennis Lehane is a great author

[@michele36618]

Great movie !!!!!

[@monkeyhook6856]

ive never been this early on a James 1st time watching

[@JamesVSCinema]

welcome my friend haha

[@RavenTheVelociraptor]

Saw this film a few months ago on Netflix or HBO i think. Glad to see it on your radar

[@lahnnabell11]

I am seeing a New England theme in 2 of your recent videos. Is Gone Baby Gone next? It's a heavy watch.

[@justin555666]

Such a great film! Hollow is great way to put it about the ending. Feels quite a bit like Chinatown.

[@desireezachry8086]

Super underrated movie great reaction!

[@mikecaetano]

FYIJIC. The "mystic" Rom-Com is "Mystic Pizza" (1988), an early role for Julia Roberts. PS. Tom Hanks, Paul Newman -- The Road To Perdition.

[@beckymellon8135]

One of the most powerful romances is definitely Bridges of Madison county another Clint Eastwood movie!!! Unfortunately no one has reacted to this incredible iconic movie❤️✌️😊

[@bajjanitor]

Fuck this movie so much. Everyone is so dishonest and it leads to so much misery. Only thing I like about the movie is that every character goes from being so smart and intuitive to being dumb as a bag of bricks every time they need to be bright to stop something bad from happening, that makes it unbelievable, thankfully.

[@brucelee5620]

Check Unlawful Entry from 1992 Kurt Russell and a terrifying Ray Liotta and the gorgeous Madeline Stowe. 90s thriller at it's finest. 🥶👀

[@The.Pickle]

The thing that puts me off subscribing to Patreon is the automatic fees; I have a head injury which means I often forget about these things and the auto debits have cost me a lot. If I can chose to pay a one off payment for a specific time, it gives me the peace of mind and I can set the money aside.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Hope the annual is a bonus feature then. Wanted to give more options since they gave me the chance! Don’t trip, it’ll always be here 🤘🏽

[@justinbarnett9476]

One of the best mysteries is around Tim Robbin’s’ character. By all accounts you think he did it until he tells his wife that he killed a pedophile. It’s so damn sad. The guy’s childhood was taken from him and he gets accused of murder of an innocent and killed by his childhood friend.

[@stuartwait]

Stellar cast who do their thing and deliver a great film!!!arguably Eastwood’s best film

[@LittleBlueOwl318]

I recommend "Primal Fear" for another plot twist film that'll blow your mind.

[@marennicholson5444]

Devastating movie and book. Lehane is a beast of a writer.

[@SutekhDaSteemroller]

This movie is why you must have a legal/justice system in place to handle these situations. Too many emotions, eye for an eye makes the world blind.

[@Knightowl1980]

Wedding the Boston collection? Manchester by the sea , mystic river., what’s next ? The town? The fighter? Spotlight?

[@Themiddlingallotmentandgarden]

Hi James. For the romance, drama genre you're looking at, I'd love you to consider The Piano. Passion, drama, and atmosphere aplenty! I really think you'd appreciate it. It's not your average romance at all. The cast is great and it's an award winner that just doesn't get mentioned much anymore, unfortunately. Give it some thought, add it to your polls, watch it in your free time. Honestly think its up your street ☺️

[@jonpevehouse]

Yes, the fabulous Tim Robbins. Music River and of course Jacob's Ladder... but more importantly, you left out Shawshank Redemption! He can hang his career on those 3 movies alone, but there's also Bull Durham, War of the Worlds, Arlington Road and

[@garys6800]

You should watch the 2007 film Stardust, an action fantasy romance.

[@do-ol2540]

I still have hope that he will react to The Trial (1962) by Orson Welles, one of the best novel to film adaptations ever! If anyone has seen it please spread the word and ask him to watch it.

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

Since you're focusing on plot and character-driven dramas, may I suggest: A Separation (2011) The Lives of Others (2006) Notes on a Scandal (2006) True Grit (the 2010 Coen Brothers version, not the 1969 version with John Wayne) The Conversation (1974) You Can Count on Me (2000) The Sweet Hereafter (1997) Nebraska (2013) Shine (1996)

[@neno539]

Ghost Dog: the Way of the Samurai You will enjoy it

[@MrZeek1519]

Clint Eastwood can flat out direct. This is some of his finest work. I also highly enjoyed "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby". You might too.

[@joecool4813]

This movie scared me when I was 10 years old. I have a daughter now and this movie still scares me.

[@TheStoryhasbeensold]

Eastwood created a brutal film of realism

[@vader9133]

James can you look into reacting to Days of Heaven? It's another Terrence Malick film. Red Line, Tree of Life, ect.

[@TheCastaberg]

On a streak of depressing films! 😂 Another great one off the list!

[@phj223]

Great movie and great performances. Though, I'll never stop waiting for a reaction to Eastern Promises (2007), with Viggo, and Shot Caller (2017) with Nikolaj such and such, Jamie Lannister you know.

[@davidpax]

This is a great drama. Now that Donald Sutherland has just died, you should watch some of his films. Try Don't look now, Invasion of the body snatchers or my favorite: Ordinary People directed by Robert Redford. It's a drama much like Mystic River but without the crime.

[@jonpevehouse]

Yes, the fabulous Tim Robbins. Mystic River and of course Jacob's Ladder... but more importantly, you left out Shawshank Redemption! He can hang his career on those 3 movies alone, but there's also Bull Durham, War of the Worlds, Arlington Road and Hudsucker Proxy.

[@justinbarnett9476]

Bob Roberts is a really good movie where he plays a lying politician. Hudsucker Proxy is such an underrated Cohen brother’s film. I love the fast talking sassy character Jennifer Jason Lee plays.

[@nowthisisfuuun]

Please watch 21 grams, it's the same year and Sean Penn NAILED it

[@alva1370]

Cannery Row (1981) Romance I like Steinbeck so this is my pick for you. Thanks.

[@makerstudios5456]

This movie is like Heat but a murder case.

[@Bubba_1776]

Fantastic film. Love this movie. Very dark in tone. But realistic.

[@leocrux6314]

L.A. Confidential?

[@petarvurdelja7667]

This movie is in top 10 to my opinion just acting crazy sean penn is my favourite actor so versatille in every movie but everyone nailed it also tim robins if you want check the most powerfull movie check once there were warriors new zeland social drama 1994 about domestic violence the best acting ever you must check this probably best movie ever made it is a hidden gem

[@adamyilmaz9531]

I've always loved this movie! We all need a reaction to Zootopia! That's an absolute must! Please! 🙏🙏👍🔥😎

[@trademarkaaron]

Check out Eastern Promises

[@chrisgobeil4751]

Sleepers is another great film to watch.

[@Edd25164605]

Damn this is a good movie.

[@Knightowl1980]

Shit this film is 21 years old ? Fkin hell. I hate getting older but feelin younger

[@scatreed]

This is a good one.

[@patriciaalvareztostado8170]

Such sad story, movie, you feel bad for everyone, I fell so bad for Robins character, what he suffer, and been accuse of murdering his childhood friend daughter, Kevin Bacon character had too do this hard job, investigation her murder, and Pean the pain of losing his daughter, and the end, the unhappy end,

[@beckymellon8135]

❤❤❤

[@clapattack7235]

I'm glad Penn and Robbins both won oscars for their roles but it's a shame LOTR Return of the King was in the running for pretty much everything else. In any other year, Mystic River would have been best picture.