Celebrity Nooz: Jesse Stone Night Passage

Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006)

Movie Title: Jesse Stone: Night Passage

Year Released: 2006

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 1h 29min

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Director: Robert Harmon

Writer: Tom Epperson (based on the novel by Robert B. Parker)

Starring: Tom Selleck, Saul Rubinek, Viola Davis, Kohl Sudduth, Polly Shannon, Mike Starr, Britt Robertson, Liisa Repo-Martell, Stephen McHattie, John Beale, Vito Rezza, Stephanie March, Stephen Baldwin

Review: Tom Selleck reprises his role as police chief Jesse Stone in this prequel to Stone Cold, based on the best-selling novels by Robert B. Parker.

After his divorce and losing his job as a LAPD homicide detective, Stone (Tom Selleck) becomes the new Chief of Police in the sleepy Massachusetts town of Paradise. After an altercation with a local thug (Stephen Baldwin) and his ties to a sketchy bank manager (Saul Rubinek), Jesse Stone is ready to dig up all the dirty secrets of his new home.

I love the "Jesse Stone" movies! I've read the book series, too. If you like the movies I would recommend them for some very entertaining reading. Now, back to the movie...

Jesse Stone: Night Passage is a prequel to the film series; you can start with this one if you'd like. It tells us how Jesse Stone came to the town of Paradise and what baggage he's brought along. Tom Selleck was made to play this richly flawed character. He's tough, smart, damaged, occasionally drunk, bitter, calm, and brave. I could watch Selleck's Stone all day long. He's perfectly cast, as well as the rest of the roles. Great actors like Saul Rubinek, Viola Davis, Kohl Sudduth, Polly Shannon, Mike Starr, Britt Robertson, Stephen McHattie, Stephanie March, and Stephen Baldwin fill the fictional town of Paradise with unique and interesting characters that give it a real, lived-in feel. That always helps you to get into the story.

And that's another great thing about Jesse Stone: Night Passage, the story. A new police chief is brought in because of his drinking on the job might be beneficial to the one's that are running the town. But it's Jesse Stone we're taking about here. He's a tough cop that is completely dedicated no matter what. He's always on the case, whether he's on duty or not.

Now, this is a made-for-TV movie, but it is so compelling, entertaining, and re-watchable that it's better than the majority of popular television shows and movies that have come out since this premiered back in 2006. If you like a good mystery with compelling characters, great writing, and wonderful performances then take a trip to Paradise and watch Jesse Stone: Night Passage.

Stars (out of 4):

Fun Fact: Although Night Passage (2006) is the second of the Jesse Stone films, after Stone Cold (2005), it is actually the prequel to Stone Cold.

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