It is very highly praised, not only because it`s directed by Clint Eastwood but mainly because of the leading actors - Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon. To be frank the film is not much more than a Crime movie (a detective so to say) although to some people it seems to be more than just that. As three kids play in the streets one of them gets abducted by pedophiles and his life never becomes the same. As a matter of fact, he`s not the only one affected by that. Many years later one of them who by that time is a retired criminal loses his daughter who`s shot under strange (not really) circumstances. One of the two former boys is a cop who works on the case, while the other one is the prime suspect. I`d lie if I would say that the film was no good, but one thing ruined it from becoming a long-time favourite of mine - and it was the ending which I found to meaningless and a bit dull.