WHAT A REPREHENSIBLE, UNCONSCIONABLE WASTE OF CELLULOID (contains spoilers)

Rating: 2/10 (7 April 2005)

Let me get this straight - Dave (Tim Robbins) is kidnapped and abused as a child and suffers the shame and horror of his abuse as well as he can in his adult life until he comes across a pedophile having sex with a child in a car. In a fit of rage, he kills the pedophile but is reluctant to admit what he's done (even to his wife). Tragically, that same evening, Jimmy's (Sean Penn) daughter Katie is killed by two kids who "just wanted to scare her." And Sean (Kevin Bacon), the diligent detective, has to piece this mess together.
Because of Dave's reluctance to admit what he did to the pedophile and his "odd behavior", his wife jumps to the conclusion that he's the one who killed Katie, her only evidence being that she died the same night Dave came home with blood on his clothes and a mangled hand. Worse yet, she goes to Jimmy and informs her of her suspicions, whereupon he jumps to the conclusion she might be right and, in turn, kills Dave to exact vengeance for his daughter's death.
Only when confronted by Jimmy does Dave FINALLY admit his encounter with the pedophile. Of course, in Jimmy's eyes, it's too little, too late, and he doesn't believe Dave anyway and forces him - at knife- and gunpoint - to admit what he did to Katie. Under such pressure, Dave falsely admits he killed Katie, whereupon Jimmy kills him.
Didn't anyone bother to keep in mind that Dave arrived at his home with a CUT on his chest, not a bullet wound (as indicated by the evidence in the car when Sean first investigates the murder scene)? And why was Jimmy so gung ho to kill his friend Dave - someone who attended his daughter's wake for goodness' sake - using only Dave's wife's suspicions as evidence? Further, where does Annabeth's (Laura Linney) "MacBeth" twist come into play? Is her character so heartless that she can literally justify her husband's murder of the wrong man? Is she so self-centered and uncompassionate as to rationalize an innocent man's murder and let his mother and son live out their lives despondent over his unexplained death? Talk about poor character development.
FINALLY, are we really supposed to believe Jimmy sincerely regrets his murdering the wrong man when he seems to have no problem with being allowed to get away with it by Sean, the detective? If Sean were willing to let Jimmy get away with it, why doesn't Whitey Powers (Laurence Fishburne) help bring about the proper justice by arresting Jimmy because Sean wasn't willing to arrest his childhood friend? I can't believe this movie garnered the praise and awards it did. Each and every person who helped create this mess should list it as a black mark on his/her resume! Especially Clint Eastwood - though I was never a major fan of his, my admiration of him and his work went up with UNFORGIVEN, the heart and soul of which were undeniable. Upon viewing this mess, it's dropped back down a few degrees.