Mystic River (film)
Updated: 12/20/2025, 1:38:34 PM Wikipedia source
Mystic River is a 2003 American neo-noir mystery drama film, directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, and starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. The screenplay, written by Brian Helgeland, was based on the 2001 novel by Dennis Lehane. It is the first film in which Eastwood was credited as composer of the score. The film was produced by Village Roadshow Pictures, Malpaso Productions and NPV Entertainment, premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2003, and was released on October 15, 2003 by Warner Bros. Pictures, and was a critical and commercial success. Mystic River was nominated for six awards at the 76th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning Best Actor for Penn, and Best Supporting Actor for Robbins.
Infobox
Directed by
Clint Eastwood
Screenplay by
Brian Helgeland
Based on
Mystic Riverby Dennis Lehane
Produced by
mw- Clint Eastwood Robert Lorenz Judie G. Hoyt
Starring
Sean Penn Tim Robbins Kevin Bacon Laurence Fishburne Marcia Gay Harden Laura Linney
Cinematography
Tom Stern
Edited by
Joel Cox
Music by
Clint Eastwood
Productioncompanies
Village Roadshow Pictures Malpaso Productions NPV Entertainment
Distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
May 23, 2003 (2003-05-23) (Cannes) October 15, 2003 (2003-10-15) (United States)
Running time
138 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$25–30 million
Box office
$156.6 million
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Date of ceremony
February 29, 2004
Category
Best Picture
Recipient(s)
Robert Lorenz, Judie G. Hoyt and Clint Eastwood
Result
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Date of ceremony
Clint Eastwood
Category
Nominated
Best Actor
Best Actor
Award
Best Actor
Date of ceremony
Sean Penn
Category
Won
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Date of ceremony
Tim Robbins
Category
Won
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Date of ceremony
Marcia Gay Harden
Category
Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Award
Best Adapted Screenplay
Date of ceremony
Brian Helgeland
Category
Nominated
American Cinema Editors
American Cinema Editors
Award
American Cinema Editors
Date of ceremony
2004
Category
Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic
Recipient(s)
Joel Cox
Result
Nominated
Art Directors Guild
Art Directors Guild
Award
Art Directors Guild
Date of ceremony
February 2004
Category
Feature Film – Contemporary Film
Recipient(s)
Henry Bumstead and Jack G. Taylor Jr.
Result
Won
BAFTA Film Awards
BAFTA Film Awards
Award
BAFTA Film Awards
Date of ceremony
February 15, 2004
Category
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Recipient(s)
Sean Penn
Result
Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Award
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Date of ceremony
Tim Robbins
Category
Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Award
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Date of ceremony
Laura Linney
Category
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Adapted
Best Screenplay – Adapted
Award
Best Screenplay – Adapted
Date of ceremony
Brian Helgeland
Category
Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics
Boston Society of Film Critics
Award
Boston Society of Film Critics
Date of ceremony
December 14, 2003
Category
Best Film
Result
Won
Best Ensemble
Best Ensemble
Award
Best Ensemble
Category
Won
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
Award
Cannes Film Festival
Date of ceremony
May 14 – 25, 2003
Category
Palme d'Or
Recipient(s)
Clint Eastwood
Result
Nominated
Golden Coach
Golden Coach
Award
Golden Coach
Date of ceremony
Clint Eastwood
Category
Won
Casting Society of America
Casting Society of America
Award
Casting Society of America
Date of ceremony
October 2004
Category
Feature Film
Result
Won
César Awards
César Awards
Award
César Awards
Date of ceremony
February 21, 2004
Category
Best Foreign Film
Result
Won
Critics' Choice Awards
Critics' Choice Awards
Award
Critics' Choice Awards
Date of ceremony
January 10, 2004
Category
Best Picture
Result
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Date of ceremony
Clint Eastwood
Category
Nominated
Best Actor
Best Actor
Award
Best Actor
Date of ceremony
Sean Penn
Category
Won
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Date of ceremony
Marcia Gay Harden
Category
Nominated
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Date of ceremony
Tim Robbins
Category
Won
Best Ensemble
Best Ensemble
Award
Best Ensemble
Category
Nominated
Best Screenplay
Best Screenplay
Award
Best Screenplay
Date of ceremony
Brian Helgeland
Category
Nominated
Best Score
Best Score
Award
Best Score
Date of ceremony
Clint Eastwood
Category
Nominated
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Award
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Date of ceremony
January 2004
Category
Best Actor
Recipient(s)
Sean Penn
Result
Won
European Film Awards
European Film Awards
Award
European Film Awards
Date of ceremony
6 December 2003
Category
Best Non-European Film
Result
Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle
Florida Film Critics Circle
Award
Florida Film Critics Circle
Date of ceremony
January 2, 2004
Category
Best Actor
Recipient(s)
Sean Penn
Result
Won
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Date of ceremony
Tim Robbins
Category
Won
Golden Globes
Golden Globes
Award
Golden Globes
Date of ceremony
January 25, 2004
Category
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Result
Nominated
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Award
Best Director – Motion Picture
Date of ceremony
Clint Eastwood
Category
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Award
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Date of ceremony
Brian Helgeland
Category
Nominated
Best Actor in a Drama
Best Actor in a Drama
Award
Best Actor in a Drama
Date of ceremony
Sean Penn
Category
Won
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Award
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Date of ceremony
Tim Robbins
Category
Won
London Film Critics Circle
London Film Critics Circle
Award
London Film Critics Circle
Date of ceremony
February 11, 2004
Category
Director of the Year
Recipient(s)
Clint Eastwood
Result
Won
Actor of the Year
Actor of the Year
Award
Actor of the Year
Date of ceremony
Sean Penn
Category
Won
National Board of Review
National Board of Review
Award
National Board of Review
Date of ceremony
December 3, 2003
Category
Best Film
Result
Won
Best Actor
Best Actor
Award
Best Actor
Date of ceremony
Sean Penn
Category
Won
National Society of Film Critics
National Society of Film Critics
Award
National Society of Film Critics
Date of ceremony
January 3, 2004
Category
Best Film
Result
2nd Place
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Date of ceremony
Clint Eastwood
Category
Won
Best Actor
Best Actor
Award
Best Actor
Date of ceremony
Sean Penn
Category
2nd Place
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Date of ceremony
Tim Robbins
Category
2nd Place
Best Screenplay
Best Screenplay
Award
Best Screenplay
Date of ceremony
Brian Helgeland
Category
2nd Place
Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
Award
Satellite Awards
Date of ceremony
January 23, 2004
Category
Best Drama Film
Result
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Date of ceremony
Clint Eastwood
Category
Nominated
Best Actor – Drama
Best Actor – Drama
Award
Best Actor – Drama
Date of ceremony
Sean Penn
Category
Won
Best Supporting Actress – Drama
Best Supporting Actress – Drama
Award
Best Supporting Actress – Drama
Date of ceremony
Marcia Gay Harden
Category
Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Award
Best Adapted Screenplay
Date of ceremony
Brian Helgeland
Category
Won
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Date of ceremony
Tom Stern
Category
Nominated
Best Editing
Best Editing
Award
Best Editing
Date of ceremony
Joel Cox
Category
Nominated
Best Sound
Best Sound
Award
Best Sound
Date of ceremony
Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
Category
Nominated
Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
Award
Screen Actors Guild
Date of ceremony
February 22, 2004
Category
Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Male Actor
Recipient(s)
Tim Robbins
Result
Won
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor
Award
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor
Date of ceremony
Sean Penn
Category
Nominated
Outstanding Ensemble
Outstanding Ensemble
Award
Outstanding Ensemble
Category
Nominated
Vancouver Film Critics Circle
Vancouver Film Critics Circle
Award
Vancouver Film Critics Circle
Date of ceremony
February 2, 2004
Category
Best Actor
Recipient(s)
Sean Penn
Result
Won
Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
Award
Writers Guild of America
Date of ceremony
February 21, 2004
Category
Best Adapted Screenplay
Recipient(s)
Brian Helgeland
Result
Nominated
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | February 29, 2004 | Best Picture | Robert Lorenz, Judie G. Hoyt and Clint Eastwood | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Clint Eastwood | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Tim Robbins | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Marcia Gay Harden | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Brian Helgeland | Nominated | |||
| American Cinema Editors | 2004 | Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic | Joel Cox | Nominated | |
| Art Directors Guild | February 2004 | Feature Film – Contemporary Film | Henry Bumstead and Jack G. Taylor Jr. | Won | |
| BAFTA Film Awards | February 15, 2004 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Sean Penn | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Tim Robbins | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Laura Linney | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay – Adapted | Brian Helgeland | Nominated | |||
| Boston Society of Film Critics | December 14, 2003 | Best Film | Won | ||
| Best Ensemble | Won | ||||
| Cannes Film Festival | May 14 – 25, 2003 | Palme d'Or | Clint Eastwood | Nominated | |
| Golden Coach | Clint Eastwood | Won | |||
| Casting Society of America | October 2004 | Feature Film | Won | ||
| César Awards | February 21, 2004 | Best Foreign Film | Won | ||
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 10, 2004 | Best Picture | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Clint Eastwood | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Marcia Gay Harden | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Tim Robbins | Won | |||
| Best Ensemble | Nominated | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Brian Helgeland | Nominated | |||
| Best Score | Clint Eastwood | Nominated | |||
| Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association | January 2004 | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won | |
| European Film Awards | 6 December 2003 | Best Non-European Film | Nominated | ||
| Florida Film Critics Circle | January 2, 2004 | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Tim Robbins | Won | |||
| Golden Globes | January 25, 2004 | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | ||
| Best Director – Motion Picture | Clint Eastwood | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Brian Helgeland | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor in a Drama | Sean Penn | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Tim Robbins | Won | |||
| London Film Critics Circle | February 11, 2004 | Director of the Year | Clint Eastwood | Won | |
| Actor of the Year | Sean Penn | Won | |||
| National Board of Review | December 3, 2003 | Best Film | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won | |||
| National Society of Film Critics | January 3, 2004 | Best Film | 2nd Place | ||
| Best Director | Clint Eastwood | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Sean Penn | 2nd Place | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Tim Robbins | 2nd Place | |||
| Best Screenplay | Brian Helgeland | 2nd Place | |||
| Satellite Awards | January 23, 2004 | Best Drama Film | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Clint Eastwood | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor – Drama | Sean Penn | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress – Drama | Marcia Gay Harden | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Brian Helgeland | Won |
References
- Mystic Riverhttps://web.archive.org/web/20150402100616/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/mystic-river-2003
- Box Office Mojohttps://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mysticriver.htm
- The Numbershttps://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mystic-River#tab=summary
- Colliderhttps://collider.com/michael-keaton-mystic-river/
- Hughes 2009, p. 153.
- The Cinemaholichttps://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-mystic-river-filmed/
- Rotten Tomatoeshttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mystic_river/
- Metacritichttps://www.metacritic.com/movie/mystic-river
- "Find CinemaScore"https://www.cinemascore.com/
- Rolling Stonehttps://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/mystic-river-255802/
- Eliot 2009, p. 307.
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/28/movies/dirty-harry-wants-to-say-he-s-sorry-again.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/03/movies/film-festival-review-dark-parable-of-violence-avenged.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/12/movies/film-ms-macbeth-and-her-cousin-the-women-of-mystic-river.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/08/movies/new-dvd-s-looking-into-a-dark-river-seeing-the-shadow-of-evil.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/readers-movies-21st-century.html
- Hughes 2009, p. 155.
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2013/film/awards/ace-eddie-noms-show-revealing-splits-from-oscars-1118066143/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/art-directors-honor-river-and-rings-1117900160/
- British Academy of Film and Television Artshttp://awards.bafta.org/award/2004/film
- Mystic River,https://ew.com/article/2003/12/15/boston-honors-mystic-river-translation/
- festival-cannes.frhttps://web.archive.org/web/20131214204119/http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/2003/allSelections.html
- The Daily Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/clint-eastwood-60-years-in-film/clint-eastwood-movie-career46/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2004/film/news/kudos-for-casting-1117911948/
- Screen Dailyhttps://www.screendaily.com/barbarian-plunders-top-cesar-prizes/4017444.article
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2003/film/awards/mystic-in-america-top-b-cast-crix-list-1117897228/
- BBC Newshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3386903.stm
- The Advocatehttps://www.advocate.com/news/2004/01/08/charlize-theron-honored-dallas-fort-worth-film-critics-ltigtmonsterltigt-10915
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2003/scene/markets-festivals/lenin-storms-the-house-at-berlin-s-efas-1117896714/
- Florida Film Critics Circlehttps://www.floridafilmcritics.com/2013/11/16/2003-ffcc-award-winners/
- Hollywood Foreign Press Associationhttps://www.goldenglobes.com/film/mystic-river
- Screen Dailyhttps://www.screendaily.com/master-and-commander-sails-off-with-london-critics-awards/4017305.article
- IndieWirehttps://www.indiewire.com/2003/12/national-board-of-review-says-mystic-river-is-tops-for-2003-79297/
- Chicago Tribunehttps://web.archive.org/web/20190621043439/https://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-oscars-criticssociety-ct-story.html
- International Press Academyhttps://web.archive.org/web/20081218060836/http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2004.shtml
- E! Onlinehttps://www.eonline.com/news/46627/sag-swept-away-by-mystic-river
- Vancouver Film Critics Circlehttps://vancouverfilmcritics.com/2004/02/02/4th-annual-award-winners/
- CNNhttp://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/20/sprj.aa04.leisure.sag.reut/index.html