The build-up was two and a half years long. In April 2001, in a bookstore in Concord, Mass, Boston-based author Dennis Lehane told us a now-familiar story.

His latest novel, Mystic River, had been out for a few months. He had decided, long before it's publication, that he would never subject it to the whims of Hollywood. You see, he had a "bad Whoopi Goldberg experience" ... she wanted to purchase the rights to one of his earlier novels, summoned him to L.A., and then informed him that she would play the female lead, naturally. Thing is, that female lead was Angie Gennaro, a young, white, Italian woman from Boston. He fled Whoopi's house and never looked back. Mystic River was too close to his heart to get the Hollyweird treatment, so he told his publishing agent "No calls, please."

All that changed just before the Concord book signing, he told us. His agent called and said "Someone's interested in the film rights, Dennis, and I think you want to take this call." It was Clint Eastwood. And as Lehane said... "When Clint calls, you answer."

Eastwood was blown away by the book, and knew immediately he wanted to direct it. One of the first things he told Lehane was "I want to keep the ending." Y'see, the ending was dark, tragic, very non-Hollywood. "Sold" was Dennis' response. That was the only promise he needed to let the rights go.

The first step was finding a solid screenwriter, so they recruited Brian Helgeland, who brilliantly adapted L.A. Confidential. Then Clint started assembling an excellent cast: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden. This was not going to be some half-assed b-movie (*cough* bloodwork *cough*), this was going to be a Film.

The first time I read Mystic River, I put it down and just stared into space for probably an hour. It impacted me deeply, easily became one of my favorite books, and I've obsessively followed it's journey from page to screen ever since. On Monday night, I was fortunate enough to attend the sold-out New England premiere screening at Harvard's gorgeous Sanders Theater.

The idea of this movie frightened me a little. I was too close to the book, and you know how that works ... the letdown potential is high. What would they change? What would they leave out? Who would most massacre their faux-Boston accent? Anyone who's read the book knows my fear. Well, I have good news. There's nothing to worry about.

I'd like to shake Helgeland's hand for making the right choices, for staying faithful, for getting it. He hardly changed a damn thing. He knew the source material had everything he needed for a great film, right down to the details. The settings, the little moments, exact lines of dialogue straight from book. It was all there. Veteran production designer Henry Bumstead and set decorator Richard Goddard really came through... they ripped images, places, scenes out of my imagination and put them in front of me. The crime scene in Pen Park, the bittersweet parade, the corner store and smoky bars, the dark livingrooms and cramped kitchens, the porches, curbsides and streets of East Buckingham. It was perfectly eerie.

And then there's the cast. Everyone knows that Sean Penn is one hell of an actor, given the right material, and boy did this script give him that. He played all sides of the complicated Jimmy to perfection... fierce, heartbroken, strong, vulnerable, angry, shattered, vengeful. It was all in there, in his words and his posture and all over his face. He deserves a nomination for this, easily. I can't see anyone else pulling off the part like he did.


In fact, he's so good that it could be easy to overlook the rest of the cast, but they keep right up with him. Tim Robbins stands out as the wounded Dave, Marcia Gay Harden is even better as his wife Celeste. Laura Linney doesn't have a lot to work with, but what she does have she nails... especially her final scene with Penn. You'll know which one I mean. Incredible work. Bacon and Fishburne are both very good in their roles, but are overshadowed by the emotional stretches of the other characters. Their parts as police detectives just don't have the range of the rest, but they're very solid nonetheless.

Some real surprises are in the smaller parts. Kevin Chapman and Adam Nelson as the Savage Brothers... I loved every second those two guys were on screen. Also excellent in his cameo role is the legendary (and uncredited) Eli Wallach as a distinctly not-senile liquor store owner. A real treat. Tom Guiry as teenager Brendan Harris is also very, very good. The casting on this film was just spot-on all around.

The score deserves a mention as well... it's subtle, simple, hauntingly beautiful, and written by Clint himself. The Boston Symphony Orchestra performed it, and they were in attendance at Monday's screening. The enthusiastic applause when they scrolled by in the credits was well-deserved. Gorgeous work.

When Dennis Lehane introduced the screening, he said that Clint has been telling the press not to fault the author if they don't like the it ... that the blame lies squarely on the director's shoulders because the source material was perfect.

Lehane begged to differ, though... he said that what he wrote is right up there on the screen, and if there's anyone to blame, it's him, not Mr. Eastwood.

Well, there'll be no need for finger pointing, because there's not a bit of blame to go around here. Just a whole lotta praise.