Brendan is obviously one of the suspects, but so is Dave, who came home late the night of the murder, covered with blood and talking to his wife in anguish about a mugger he fought and may have killed.Īlthough elements in 'Mystic River' play according to the form of a police procedural, the movie is about more than the simple question of guilt. Sean and Whitey are assigned to the case. Theirs is a sweet puppy love they plan to run away together, but before that can happen Katie is found brutally beaten and dead. She's in love with Brendan ( Thomas Guiry), a boy Jimmy angrily disapproves of. Jimmy keeps a jealous eye on his 19-year-old daughter Katie ( Emmy Rossum), who works with him at the store. The other major character is Whitey ( Laurence Fishburne), Sean's police partner.
All are married Jimmy to a second wife, Annabeth ( Laura Linney), who helps him bring up his oldest daughter and two of their own Dave to Celeste ( Marcia Gay Harden), who has given him a son Sean to an absent, pregnant wife who calls him from time to time but never says anything. The film centers on the three friends: Jimmy ( Sean Penn), an ex-con who now runs the corner store Dave ( Tim Robbins), a handyman, and Sean ( Kevin Bacon), a homicide detective.
