Not enough can be said about the acting chops of our three main guys. They were all amazing. it wasn't the acting or overall plot that got me--I loved most of this movie, and may have been fine if it had faded to black as we hear Jimmy's voiceover talking about how he killed the wrong man and it can't be undone. But right after this confession, Linney makes this very chilling speech to him about how, as a father, he had to do what he had to do. I can see how a wife may say that in trying to support her husband in such a dismal situation. But her condescending remarks about the weakness of others, the vindictive tone when talking about Celeste, (who essentially knowingly got her husband killed), and her cavalier attitude about the murder of Boyle, who by far was the most endearing character....well it straight pissed me off. It seemed out of place and was unnecessarily ruthless. That single conversation between Jimmy and her almost killed it for me. And then there's the confusing "gotcha" gun hand signal by Devine to Jimmy that I can't figure out. Does this mean he is going to go after him for Dave's murder? Or is it simply an acknowledgement of Jimmy's presence and their past together? There was so much to unpack in the parade scene at the end, from the aforementioned conversation to the steely glare Annabeth gives Celeste, to Celeste yelling at her son on the float, hoping he would see her and acknowledge her, to Devine 's reunion with wife and baby...it just seemed like we were unraveling ends at a time when no ends should be loose--it's the end of the movie after all. Cut that parade scene and I'd give this a 9\10. The acting is superb. TIm Robbins is incredible, Kevin Bacon is a star, and Sean Penn shows once again he is a formidable opponent, vulnerable when needed and tough as nails the rest of the time. I don't know. I may just need to finally read the book and see if that answers my questions.

One thing is certain, this film would not have passed muster under the Production Code of the 1930's and 40's. Not only does it show someone getting away with murder, but it also involves a lawful authority complicit in the knowledge that a former childhood friend did it. I thought this was a masterfully constructed story until it got to those final revelations. One might consider all the interconnected relationships between the various characters to be stretched beyond credibility, but while the story was taking place none of it seemed forced. The opening sequence with the three principals as young boys went a long way to explain the emotional pain Davey Boyle (Tim Robbins) went through his entire life. For his own wife (Marcia Gay Harden) to believe that Davey killed Jimmy Markum's (Sean Penn) daughter demonstrates how fragile their own relationship had become. What bothered me about the story were twofold. When Jimmy actually admits to his wife Annabeth (Laura Linney) that he killed Davey - first, I couldn't believe he did that, and second, her response was to make him feel better about it. No revulsion, no disgust, it was simply out of character to a normal human reaction for that kind of admission. The other problem was Sean Devine's (Kevin bacon) reaction as a police detective. One can only assume, because no clear motivation was offered, that Sean felt Jimmy had gone through enough with the death of his daughter, and at a time he was dealing with his own marital problems. But that really doesn't cut it. His gun-hand gesture to Jimmy at the community parade was really bizarre, I just don't know how to process that.So this may not have been a clear directorial win for Clint Eastwood, but it was a valiant try. Not being a fan of Penn or Robbins, I can appreciate the Oscar wins in their respective categories, I thought they were well deserved. I just would have hoped for a little more thought put into the final outcome to temper the crimes committed with a more appropriate lawful resolution. You don't need a Production Code to convince viewers that there was something off-kilter with the way things turned out.

This is one of these movies that has a smooth lines and transitions throughout the whole plot. It also reflects the hidden reality of a rural Boston and how they "resolve" their issues. What I like more about it is that it touched the topic of pedophilia, which is very common nowadays. What even made it more interesting is the closeness between the people involved since it is between a group of friends where this plot unfolds, and also the instinct of betrayal.

The plot is twisted and implausible to the point where the movie becomes boring and disappointing. I find no trace of sanity or nobility, no beauty, no hint of redemption for any of the characters throughout a movie that unsuccessfully attempts to be profound and originally dramatic.But it's impossible to admire any of the characters, and the ones that perhaps may deserve compassion, are treated unjustly, disrespectfully and grotesquely. Indeed there is something repulsive and disquietingly grotesque behind the moral premises of the story. One perhaps could forgive the inadequacy of such amorality in a story where haphazardness looks plausible, natural, spontaneous and uncontrived. But in such an absurd and unbelievable story one can only conclude that the dramatist is sick, or perhaps just gullibly read too much of Nietzsche.