I looked forward to the first Jesse Stone film with positive anticipation, being a big fan of Robert Parker's books and brilliant written dialogue. I thought some younger actor who plays "outwardly stoic, inwardly thoughtful" like Viggo Mortenson or maybe a Chris Noth type would probably be cast, and was pleasantly surprised by Selleck. The questions Parker poses in the running dialogue between Stone and his estranged wife in the books seem a bit "young" for someone Selleck's actual age, but he is able to play 10-15 years younger than himself, making it all quite believable. The good work continued in this film, and Selleck especially tosses off the Parker dialogue very believably. (If you don't recognize or appreciate what I mean about the dialogue, pick any consecutive three or so of the Spenser novels and read them in order; the economy, wit, and "realness" of the dialogue is not often matched in current writing.) The next film should be fun!
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adesalme25 January 2006
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ma-cortes7 September 2012¨Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone: Night Passage¨ deals with an L.A. cop who goes to a small town only to find a mystery after the other , intervening in a domestic abuse case and a killing . Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck) is a tough, but worn-out Police Chief . Former LA policeman , who relocates to Paradise, Massachusetts after leaving the duty due to a drinking problem . He buys a secluded house where he lives with his senior hound dog that suffers an illness . While the Police Chief Jesse Stone's relationship with his ex-wife worsens and he fears he will relapse into alcoholism , to get his mind off his problems, Jesse begins working on the unsolved murder . Meantime , Jessie becomes romantically involved with a local advocate in law (Polly Shannon) . He soon becomes complicated with a case of domestic violence whose husband (Stephen Baldwin) holds a serious criminal behavior , connected to the mob .
This agreeable story results to be a prequel to 'Stone Cold,' , here Tom Selleck reprises his role as Jesse Stone , an almost-retired and drunk policeman . Very good acting by veteran Tom Selleck , he plays as an ex- L.A. cop who becomes Chief in the small coastal town and find himself immersed in mysteries and murders . Support cast is frankly excellent as Saul Rubinek as Hastings Hathaway , Viola Davis as Molly Crane , Kohl Sudduth as Luther 'Suitcase' , Polly Shannon as attorney Abby Taylor , Stephanie March as Cissy Hathaway , Mike Starr as Lou Carson and Stephen McHattie as captain Healy . Atmospheric and appropriate musical score by Jeff Beal . Colorful and sunny cinematography by David Gribble . This TV picture was professionally directed by Robert Harmon , though with no originality , being sometimes slow-moving and predictable . Harmon has directed a bunch of made-for-TV movies which include the excellent biopics "Gotti" and "Ike: Countdown to D-Day" . His greatest hit smash was the psycho horror knockout title "The Hitcher" with Rutger Hauer . Robert made a welcome return to the horror genre with the creepy "They" and contributed another worthy addition to the "danger on the road" sub-genre with the brutal and nerve-wracking "Highwaymen." More recently Robert Harmon has directed starring Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone is this enjoyable series .
This several gritty and superior made-for-TV crime mystery drama series was formed by 8 chapters , these are the following : Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone: Sea Change" 2. Jesse Stone: Crímenes en Boston (2010) (TV) aka "Jesse Stone: No Remorse" - USA 3 "Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone: Thin Ice" - UK (complete title), 4. "Robert B. Parker's Stone Cold" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title) "Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise" - USA (original title) , aka "Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise" - Australia, UK (complete title), USA (complete title¨) ; 6 "Jesse Stone: Night Passage" - USA (original title) , 7 "Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (2011) (TV) and Jesse Stone: Benefit of doubt (2012) . -
claudio_carvalho19 August 2007In Santa Monica, California, the former detective Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck) moves to Paradise, Massachusetts with his old dog Boomer, after having drinking problem on duty. He is invited by the Paradise's powerful counselor Hastings Hathaway (Saul Runinek) to be the substitute for the former Chief Lou Carson (Mike Starr), who had an earlier retirement. In his first assignment, he hits the abusive husband Joe Genest (Stephen Baldwyn), who has not respected a restraint order. The local attorney Abby Taylor (Polly Shannon) visits him after the incident and they have an affair. When Lou is killed, Chief Jesse Stone suspects of the mobster Joe and Hastings, and plots a situation trying to disclose the truth.
After the successful "Stone Cold", it was released in Brazil its sequence "Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise", with another great story of this flawed, but efficient chief of police. Now the prequel of "Stone Cold" is finally released, showing how this anti-hero was born, coming from a big city to a small town where the dwellers are aware of everything that happens. The engaging story shows Jesse and his drinking problem, dealing with a troubled teenager; with the initial suspicion of his policemen; with the murder of the former chief; with a domestic problem and an abusive husband; with his ex-wife and his new girlfriend; and with his sick dog. I believe the greatest attraction of this melancholic story is its simplicity, with credible characters and situations and great performances. Tom Selleck is fantastic in the best role of his career. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Crimes no Paraíso: Travessia Noturna" ("Crimes in Paradise: Night Cross") -
vchimpanzee18 January 2006At the start of this movie based on the first Robert B. Parker novel about Jesse Stone, the former Los Angeles detective is mistaken for a vagrant on the beach in Santa Monica. He has to explain to a cop that he also is--or was--a cop.
Meanwhile, in the quiet coastal town of Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Lou Carson (Mike Starr) is celebrating his retirement.
When we see Jesse again, he is crossing the country with his hound dog Boomer, and trying not to drink.
If you have seen the TV movie 'Stone Cold', based on another Parker novel, you know what comes next. The question is: how does Jesse go from drunken bum to the new police chief of Paradise? The answer may be related to the meeting between Lou and Hasty Hathaway, the banker and town administrator, beside a rusting ship tied up at a dock--and the envelope full of cash. This secret conversation may also have a connection to the murder that serves as a primary plot line for the movie.
Having worked in the big city, Jesse does things the way he is used to--much to the dismay of town attorney Abby Taylor (Polly Shannon).
Molly (Viola Crane) is the dispatcher, insisting she is a police officer and not a secretary. The other officers are Anthony D'Angelo (Vito Rezza) and Luther Simpson (Kohl Sudduth), who gets nicknamed 'Suitcase' by Jesse. Hathaway's wife Cissy (Stephanie March) doesn't seem happy with her marriage.
Tom Selleck does a fine job once again as Jesse. His character is confident yet pleasant, intelligent but flawed. He vows not to drink--on the job. One of his best scenes is with troubled teen Michele, whose parents are divorcing, though her abusive father Joe (Stephen Baldwin) insists on remaining close to the family, and he is mysterious about how he makes a living. Saul Rubinek does a good job as Hasty.
This is not an exciting movie, and certainly not the type of movie where one would expect car chases and explosions. In fact, it is not really a murder mystery, though solving the murder does take up more time than any of the other plot lines. The main purpose of the movie is to introduce the characters. Despite the movie's slow pace, I found it entertaining mainly because of Jesse. There is some comedy, and violence is minimal. The language and sexual talk make this inappropriate for young children, though prime-time network TV offers far worse.
I happen to know there will be at least one more Jesse Stone movie, and I look forward to it. -
bkoganbing19 May 2011In this prequel movie Jesse Stone: Night Passage we learn how Jesse Stone became the new police chief of Paradise, Massachusetts. Tom Selleck has not yet begun to deal with his alcohol problem and in fact his police instincts are aroused when the town council actually hires him when he shows up with booze on his breath.
The first two cases that Selleck deals with are linked. He goes to a domestic dispute where Stephen Baldwin is not honoring a restraining order against his estranged wife. Selleck nails him below decks to get his attention and make a point. Then Mike Starr the former police chief of Paradise is found dead off a cliff at the ocean shore in his car. It takes a while to determine, but these cases are inextricably linked.
Tom Selleck shows a considerable range and maturity in age and craft as he plays Jesse Stone. This is not a perfect and he's a most serious individual, light years away from flip detective Thomas Magnum.
The rest of the characters from the town including the other three members of the police force, Viola Davis, Kohl Sudduth, and Vito Rezza are all introduced. As is town attorney Polly Shannon who begins a long term relationship with Selleck.
Fans of Robert B. Parker novels and of Tom Selleck should be very pleased with this film. -
TheUnknown837-125 January 2006I saw this on television and was just blown away by its entertainment. Unlike some of Tom Selleck's other films, this doesn't have an enormous amount of action, but it is fun. It has a great mystery story behind it and very intense drama. Nearly heart-breaking.
Naturally, we all like Tom Selleck's character the best. His character is just so hilarious, but not at the point where he would be considered a comedic character. I love his smart-alec comments and lines.
Stephan Baldwin co-stars in this movie and he did a great job at his role. And I think I recognized one of the others as Saul Rubinek. Although I'm not sure yet.
Overall, a great mystery/cop movie. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you're a fan of Tom Selleck. -
blanche-225 May 2016From 2006, Jesse Stone: Night Passage introduces us to the characters in the subsequent films, and shows how Jesse came to be Sheriff of Paradise.
When the beloved Sheriff Lou Carson (Mike Starr) retires, Jesse Stone, who lost his job with LA Homicide for drinking on the job, is invited to interview. Jesse loads his dog Boomer into his truck and drives from LA to Massachusetts in order to interview. When he lands the job, he's instantly suspicious. "I wouldn't hire me," he says.
He uncovers corruption, which ultimately leads to murders.
Viola Davis is Molly Crane, who works in the Sheriff's office, as does Suitcase (Kohl Sudduth), Hasty Hathaway (Saul Rubinek) is head of the town council responsible for hiring Stone; Stephen Baldwin is wife beater and general bad guy Joe Genest; and Polly Shannon (Abby Taylor) is a woman Stone is seeing.
The Stone films are dark, and this one is especially sad. Good performances, though I'm not sure I would have cast Tom Selleck in such a dour part. He's always likable, but I'm not sure he's creating a specific character here, rather, just a generic depressed person. -
myles-145 November 2006Tom Selleck was great as Magnum and is more appealing than ever as Jesse Stone. The two TV-movies made so far with this character have been top-notch in story, characters and mood--very watchable and enjoyable. I believe they've done gangbusters in ratings, too, so let's hope there are more of these to come. Stone is a wonderful character and so far he's had great casting and good writing to back him up. The Stone character is the creation of mystery writer Robert B. Parker. I haven't read the novels, but Parker himself has been interviewed and he had nothing but great things to say about Selleck's performance and how well he nailed the character, who's tough, ironic, smart, wry, funny. Also enjoyed the production values, moody atmosphere and Vancouver (I think) settings, not to mention a couple of very pretty, well-cast ladies. More, more!
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lguard24 October 2006While this was a pretty good movie, as a fan of Parkers series ( Jesse Stone, Spencer, Sunny Randall) I was a little disappointed the movie didn't have the same plot as the book. Those who've read it know what I'm talking about; those who haven't , get ready for a spoiler. In the movie Steven Baldwin was an abusive husband who was mob connected, and that's about it. The book is quite different. Jesse Stone was hired as police chief of Paradise, Ma. by the town council because they needed a puppet they could pull ( the previous chief got nervous and was sent packing). The reason is the town elders ( including some cops) are a bunch of white supremacists who are planning a revolution. The previous chief in fact is killed in the Midwest. The town elders know about Jesse and his drinking problem; that's why they hired him but he turns around and straightens himself up (somewhat) surprising them. He disrupts their plot. Part of the story also includes a weightlifting muscle head who's a real thug. Jesse runs into him early on and deals with him throughout the book. This thug along with a town elder even goes to Boston to buy weapons for the revolution from mafioso Gino Fish ( from the Spenser series) but gets ripped off. Eventually he kills a woman (or 2) in Paradise which Jesse solves, thus turning him into a cooperative witness. There were some scenes straight from the book ( especially the opening scene on Santa Monica Beach where Jesse is thinking about his future and his past when the cops question him) but the major plot change made me less than thrilled. Still, the acting helped bring this movie up.
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Sandijobama3 April 2006I really enjoy all of Tom Selleck's work and now I add This movie to my list. I bought the DVD of Stone Cold and I'm wanting to know when "NIGHT PASSAGE" will be released. Keep them coming, good entertainment is hard to find these days.I understand there may be a third Jesse Stone story so I will look forward to that as well. I have read most all of Robert B. Parkers books and the Spenser series was my favorite,Now I hope he takes off on Jesse Stone and gives us another series to love. Tom Selleck was perfect for the part of Jesse Stone and the town of Paradise,Mass.seemed to be a good choice too. I'm Hoping someone can tell me when I can start watching for a release date so I can add this movie to my collection. Tom Selleck is a very versatile performer as he can be Monte Walsh in one film and do a great job and Jesse Stone in this film and be just as great. I hope everyone enjoyed this actor as much as I do.
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wwc-johnb18 January 2006This was very good for a TV movie. Tom Sellek played a likable but deeply flawed character, which is a refreshing change to his squeaky clean image. Reminded me a little of a more dramatic version of Jim Rockford. His attraction for women was a bit over done, with several babes literally flinging themselves at him as soon as they meet. Also a bit unrealistic that this small, somewhat rural MA town has several truly knock out women. However, that is a general TV tendency, which I would not dump specifically on this movie.
The movie dragged a little at times, but was well acted and suspenseful. Sellek showed some dramatic acting chops several times, especially when dealing with calls from his ex-wife and the death of his dog. Supporting cast was also good, with their response to the new (drunk) sheriff realistically portrayed. Would make an excellent pilot for a series, which may be the intent. -
Prismark1011 December 2015Jesse Stone: Night Passage is the second film in the series of the Jesse Stone adaptations but it is actually a prequel as we learn how Jesse Stone became the new police chief of the quiet coastal town of Paradise, Massachusetts from the west coast of LA.
Paradise police chief Lou Carson (Mike Starr) is celebrating his retirement and plans to go off for a different life. Jesse Stone is crossing the country from LA with his hound dog and struggling with his alcoholism. However Lou Carson is not squeaky clean and ends up being dead.
Jesse Stone is getting to grips in his new role as the police chief and now has to investigate his predecessor's death, a violent husband an a shady local businessman, Hasty Hathaway (Saul Rubinek.)
As with these type of films, all three are connected to each other. Tom Selleck enjoys gazing out to the distance in this slow burn drama where the story takes its time to unravel but you know it is all predictable.
Future Oscar nominee Viola Davis is one of the police officers in Paradise and even though he is a burnt out drunk, Jesse Stone still manages to charm the local attorney. -
Comments not just for 'Night Passage': My wife and I have quickly noticed a recent ground-swell of others who've keenly picked up on this wonderful CBS-released series with Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker and the ever-entertaining Kohl Sudduth as 'Suit(case)' Simpson. The scripts, dialogs, excellent camera-work, the wonderful lighting, directing, staging ...and the supreme mood created with Jeff Beal's superb music, all set a complete and satisfying tone for enjoying one of the, IMHO, best series ever produced for television, bar none. Selleck, in his maturity, is a great performer in character (he has done so well in recent westerns - which we rarely get to see enough of from today's 'Wacky' Follywood!) and as the 'recovering' scotch-drinking sheriff in the sleepy-but-up-tight New England town he slides into from his former LA police job on his 'last stop', his character lives up to the ideal that Robert Parker must have envisioned in his books. Sandie and I encourage you to try out some of television's best in today's cocky world with the 'Jesse Stone' series. Quality is still among us, believe it or not, and we believe you'll be very pleasantly surprised with the efforts. We now own all 7 DVDs including 'Innocence Lost', and watch them frequently when we need to get away from the world from time-to-time. I, personally, think you'll find them 'timeless.' Watch 'Jesse Stone' - become a believer again.
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Other reviews have addressed details about each installment very well, so I'll stick to overall comments.
I think this has to be some of Selleck's best work. "Think" because I haven't watched any TV to speak of since 1994. His performance throughout is multifaceted, nuanced, and just plain excellent. His Jesse Stone character exudes an honesty, a fairness, and an unswerving loyalty to principle, traits I suspect run through Selleck himself.
He has a real stake in the series - he's listed as Executive Producer - and it shows.
After Selleck himself, what defines the series are the supporting players. I can't remember a single weak performance, and I've been though the whole series several times. Recurring standouts are William "Nobody rides a horse like Monte Walsh" Devane (Dr. Dix), Steven McHattie (Captain Healey), Kohl Sudduth (Luther "Suitcase" Simpson), and especially William Sadler (Gino Fish).
Mention must be made of Stone's dogs, who are very important and integral characters throughout the series - in unexpected and novel ways.
Highly recommended. -
wartshire18 June 2008This is the best movie soundtrack I've heard in a long time, very primitive, makes the blood rush! How can we get a copy of this music? Tom Selleck is excellent as Jesse Stone. He is his usual charismatic self - likened to Cary Grant - with his easy mannerisms and tongue-in-cheek humor. He plays Jesse Stone as easy and believable as he did Magnum in much younger days. Not overly talkative - that's where the excellent soundtrack/music comes in - telling as much of the story as the characters. Cozy town, humble chief of police; reminds you of the coastal town of Murder She Wrote. He doesn't have to prove anything to me, I've been a fan from the beginning; but here's hoping the Jesse Stone series continues.
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SanteeFats1 February 2014This is a very good movie. Tom Selleck is a fired LAPD homicide detective. He was fired for being drunk on the job probably because of his divorce. He gets the job as police chief in a small Massachusetts but only because the local powers think he is a has been. Gee are they wrong!! This is kind of a slow moving movie as the backgrounds are being developed for the rest of the movies to come (even though this was the second one aired). Stephan Baldwin plays a really good "a hole" of a punk. He thinks he is a real tough guy but he really doesn't know tough. As the movie goes along Tom finds a very nice love interest in Polly Shannon the town attorney. I found the saddest part of the film to be when Boomer (Tom's dog) has to be put down due to renal failure. It is a touching scene. The ending is pretty nice, the baddies are brought to justice i.e. one killed and one arrested plus the cops come out on top. I really enjoy all the Jesse Stone movies
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carnstabba-5567211 January 2020Have seen each one so many times I'll soon be word perfect. You can't fault a thing about each one, the acting, characters, script, storyline, locations. All totally brilliant. The information's out there-you just have to let it in is an all time great.
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gliderguy21 February 2023Jesse Stone (Tom Stelleck) is hired to be the Chief of Police in a small costal Massachusetts's town after being fired for drinking on the job in LA. This turns out to be an asset since the town didn't want a Chief that was on the ball. He immediately has a run-in with the town bully Joe Genest (Stephen Baldwyn). The former police chief, Lou Carson (Mike Starr), is murdered and Genest is the prime suspect. The small town corruption is so predictable that I find myself completing their lines for them. On the plus side, the scenery is eye-pleasing and Selleck gives a believable performance as a troubled, but tough, cop.
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egbert_schwump13 October 2021For some unknown reason, I only recently became aware of these movies. Tom Selleck is perfect for the role. The story-lines are well written and the result is a line of interesting and entertaining movies. And - dogs make any movie better!
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wildcats7626 December 2011Tom Selleck is 66 now, and close to that during this series. I like him, but he is too old for this character. At most, it should have been a guy maybe 50 or 55. Although granted, I don't know how old the character is in the book series.
They never tell us why he is so depressed, and why he started drinking. I like a little mystery, but at some point, you have to let us know what the hell is going on, or we can't empathize with the character. O.K., L.A. cops drink. But they can still have a personality.
If I met a guy who gave one word answers, and answered questions with another question, I would want to punch him. Either Selleck is overdoing this stoicism, or the Director is.
As far as girls 30 and 40 years younger, throwing themselves at him, I suppose it's possible. He's tall, rugged, and mysterious, but the guy is a total loser. Rather than have people constantly ask if his lady friends are too young for him, wny not just make the character a little younger?
Having said all that, I do like the atmosphere, the character development of other characters, some of the dialogue, and the plot line. It just could have been so much better, with more background on the main character, and a younger actor, for believability. -
gene-072025 August 2021The acting performances are always top notch. From Viola Davis, Cathy Baker all the rest to Rueben, Sadler and others.
Suspension of Disbelief? Well, in a town of 50,000 + residents? You have to have a police force of at least 100. Now if the main officers WERE detectives and it focused on them for certain crimes? That would be believable.
Otherwise, I enjoy the series very much and I watch them over and over. -
dws9264210 September 2019Great story and acting. I have watched everyone that has been available on Direct TV. My only complaint is the suppressor on a revolver. They do not work. When fired, gasses and noise escape between the cylinder and barrel making the suppressor useless.
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cashbacher3 January 2023One of Robert B. Parkers best literary quirks is that his heroes often have significant flaws, and none is more flawed than Jesse Stone. A great cop with genius-level instincts for the truth, Jesse has almost uncontrolled weaknesses for alcohol and ex-wife Jen. This video is a depiction of the story that introduced Jesse to the world.
It opens with Jesse in California after being fired for being drunk on the job on the police force. He is standing on the edge of the ocean looking out, waiting for his body to process the alcohol so that he can safely drive to Paradise, Massachusetts. He is going there as he is a prime candidate for the job of chief of police. His constant and loyal companion is his dog Boomer.
To his surprise, Jesse is hired, even though he smells of alcohol when he is interviewed. He does not realize that the main decision-maker wants him for chief because he is convinced that he can control him. Jesse begins to settle in and form relationships with other people in town, both personal and professional.
When the former chief is murdered, Jesse is determined to find the killer and it is here the viewer begins to learn that Jesse is an unorthodox chief. His solution to a man violating a restraining order to avoid his ex-wife is unorthodox to say the least. It is that effective quirkiness that quickly endears Jesse to his fellow officers, people in the town and the viewers.
This is one of those serial movies where once you watch one, there is a strong urge to go on to the next one. -
charles-53624 September 2023I become a bit suspicious when I see one good review after another, especially when nobody has anything bad to say. The only thing good about this movie was the beautiful scenery in Maine. Other than that, it had nothing going for it.
Tom Selleck was drunk literally all the time, though it rarely, if ever, seemed to affect him. He was drunk but did not act as though he was drunk, not in the slightest.
Oddly, there was no mystery. The killing and who did it was known early in the film, and the only thing separating the beginning and the end of the film was a bunch of disconnected melodramatic nonsense.
Selleck's only encounter with a woman was oddly initiated and just as oddly terminated when his new lover decided things were moving too fast.
What was really odd about the film was when Selleck put down his dog for not eating and becoming a bit lethargic.
Overall, the movie was a slow-moving grind. The acting was substandard throughout, and the story made no sense. -
semcenokegor19 January 2022Yesterday I found out about these films and immediately sat down to watch. What a mess. You won't find any where the correct viewing order is. If you look at the list, it turns out that the devil. So I watched ALL 9 movies and made the right one 1 Jesse Stone: Night Visit (2006) 2 Stone's Justice (2005) 3 Stone's Justice: Death in Paradise (2006) 4 Jesse Stone: Drastic Change (2007) 5 Stone's Justice: Thin Ice (2009) 6 Stone's Justice: No Remorse (2010) 7 Jesse Stone: The Death of the Innocent (2011) 8 Jesse Stone: Due to Lack of Evidence (2012) 9 Jesse Stone: Secrets of Paradise (2015) Jesse arrives in a new city, gets a new position not according to his status. He gets acquainted with his colleagues. The plot is slowly developing.
A quiet and calm detective with a wonderful musical accompaniment. The feeling of reading a book.