City by the Sea

"When you're searching for a killer... the last suspect you want to see is your son."

Sep 6 2002 R 1h 48m
Crime, Drama, Mystery

Vincent LaMarca is a dedicated and well-respected New York City police detective who has gone to great lengths to distance himself from his past, but then makes the terrible discovery that his own son has fallen into a life of crime.

Plot

New York City homicide detective Vincent LaMarca has forged a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, making a name for himself as a man intensely committed to his work. But on his latest case, the stakes are higher for Vincent--the suspect he's investigating is his own son. He and Joey have been painfully estranged ever since Vincent divorced his wife and left the decaying boardwalks of Long Beach, Long Island for the anonymity of Manhattan and a successful career with the NYPD. He lives his life in solitude, keeping his girlfriend at arm's length; the closest relationship he maintains is with his partner, Reg--and Vincent makes sure that stops at the precinct door. As long as Vincent lives in the protection of the present, he doesn't have to deal with the pain of his past--or his sorrow over his broken relationship with Joey. But this murder investigation is drawing Vincent home to Long Beach, the self-proclaimed City by the Sea, where the past has been waiting for him to return. The agonizing memory that has tortured him all his life--the death of his father, a convicted murderer who was executed when Vincent was just a boy--still plagues him. In the course of the investigation, he discovers that his own unresolved pain and failures as a father have deeply influenced Joey's life, and now his 18-month-old grandson may be fated to follow their self-destructive paths.

Written by

Mike McAlary, Ken Hixon

Directed by

Michael Caton-Jones

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Sea Breeze Productions Inc., Brad Grey Pictures, Franchise Pictures, Epsilon Motion Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures

Languages

English

Awards

1 nomination

Scores
# of Votes
27,400
Average Rating
6.1 out of 10
Metascore
50
Popularity
NA