City By the Sea (2002)
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48% of critics liked it
(142 reviews) -
39% of users liked it
(15,741 ratings)
A man struggling to come to terms with the sins of his father makes the terrible discovery that his own son has fallen into a life of crime in a drama based on a true story. Vincent LaMarca (Robert DeNiro) is a dedicated and well-respected New York City police detective who has gone to great lengths… More A man struggling to come to terms with the sins of his father makes the terrible discovery that his own son has fallen into a life of crime in a drama based on a true story. Vincent LaMarca (Robert DeNiro) is a dedicated and well-respected New York City police detective who has gone to great lengths to distance himself from his past; four decades earlier, Vincent's father Angelo killed a young child, and since then Vincent has carried emotional scars from this incident that he refuses to show to the world. Vincent lives alone in a small apartment building, though he has nurtured a close if tentative relationship with his downstairs neighbor, Michelle (Frances McDormand). One day, Vincent and his partner, Reg Duffy (George Dzundza), are assigned to investigate a murder when the body of a young man is found dead in a dumpster. It turns out the body was that of a drug dealer, and the dealer's partner in crime, Spyder (William Forsythe), believes the killer was one of his regular customers -- a junkie would-be musician who calls himself Snake (Brian Tarantina). City By the Sea was adapted from a piece by journalist Mike McAlary which first appeared in Esquire magazine; the cast also includes Eliza Dushku and Anson Mount. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Michael Caton-Jones
- Written By
- Ken Hixon, Michael Caton-Jones, Frank R. Pierson
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Drama
- In Theaters
- Sep 6, 2002 Wide
- On DVD
- Feb 18, 2003
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
A compendium of clichés about fathers and sons.
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John Anderson, Newsday
A film that doesn't just support the action to come, but makes it seem inevitable.
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
De Niro's workmanlike in a dismayingly familiar role.
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Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
I like everything about it except it.
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Claudia Puig, USA Today
It's a run-of-the-mill cop thriller but also a gripping family drama.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Robert De Niro
as Detective Vincent LaMarca
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Frances McDormand
as Michelle
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James Franco
as Joey LaMarca
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Eliza Dushku
as Gina
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William Forsythe
as Spyder
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George Dzundza
as Reg Duffy
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Patti LuPone
as Maggie
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Anson Mount
as Dave Simon
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John Doman
as Henderson
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Brian Tarantina
as Snake
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Jay M. Boryea
as Picasso
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Leo Burmeister
as Lieutenant Katt
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Matthew Cowles
as Arnie
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Michael Dellafemina
as Angelo LaMarca
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Gregg Edelman
as A.P.C. Johnson
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Mark Lamura
as Mayor Jackson
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Michael P. Moran
as Herb
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Nestor Serrano
as Rossi
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Stephi Lineburg
as Bree
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Drena De Niro
as Vanessa Hansen
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Jim Marcus
as Medical Examiner
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Jason Winther
as Jason
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Linda Emond
as Margery
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Cyrus Farmer
as Carl
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Jill Marie Lawrence
as Evelyn
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Dominick Angelo Cangro
as Baby Angelo
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Pasquale Enrico Cangro
as Baby Angelo
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Leslie Cohen
as Jean
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Michelle Daimer
as Terry
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Teresa Kelsey
as Reporter Laura
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Joanne Lamstein
as Screaming Teenager
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Orlando Pabjoy
as Will
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Teresa Woods
as Reporter Carol
- Frances Mc Dormand
- Patti Lu Pone





