In Night Passage, Santa Monica police officer, Jesse Stone leaves his old life as a homicide detective in California, to take on a new role as police chief in the town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Upon arrival, he meets his new colleagues, including officers Molly Crane and Luther ‘Suitcase’ Simpson, and gets to share a few words with the previous police chief, Lou Carson, who is retiring from the force.
After spending a couple of minutes at his desk, Jesse is called out to a domestic disturbance between a husband and wife. Jesse deals with the situation using his trademark no-nonsense approach, and makes it known he won’t put up with abusive or dangerous people in the town.
The next day, Lou Carson is murdered before he leaves town. A couple of days later, Lou’s body is discovered.
Jesse suspects foul play and starts to investigate Lou’s death. Meanwhile, he has to deal with a number of issues in his life, including his alcoholism and the declining health of his pet dog, Boomer.
Directed by Robert Harmon, and based on Robert B. Parker’s novel of the same name, Night Passage stars Tom Selleck, Viola Davis, Kohl Sudduth, Polly Shannon, Saul Rubinek, and Stephen Baldwin. The film is the second entry in the Jesse Stone movie series, but for those keeping track, it is positioned as a prequel to 2005’s Stone Cold – the first movie in the collection.
As a prequel, Night Passage details Jesse’s arrival in the town of Paradise, as well as his first case. The film also includes Jesse’s initial meeting with friend and love interest, Abby Taylor, who fans of the series will know was killed off in Stone Cold.
The inclusion of Abby in Night Passage is great, as the film is able to flesh out her character, making her death in the previous film feel more impactful. There’s a good chemistry between Jesse and Abby, as well as between their respective actors, Tom Selleck and Polly Shannon, and their interactions also help to further cement Jesse into the town.
Incidentally, although Night Passage is a prequel, it can (and arguably should) be watched ahead of Stone Cold. Director Robert Harmon lines up the two movies very well, and there’s no real reason to watch them out of chronological order.
Sometimes prequels can be a bit disjointed, and it often feels best to watch movies in the order of their production and release, irrespective of the timeline. Night Passage is one of those rare occasions when this rule doesn’t apply, so switch them around if you plan on watching the Jesse Stone movies.
As with its predecessor, Night Passage mixes small town detective work with Jesse’s day-to-day problems. One of these is his battle with drink, which is dotted throughout the film.
The other problem relates to the ill-health of his dog. Boomer is nearing the end of his life, and Jesse has to make a tough and heartbreaking decision about his future, that will pull on the heartstrings of all dog lovers.
These scenes are emotionally charged, but are handled with calm and stillness, which is a key part of this film series. Despite the crime element in the Jesse Stone pictures, which in Night Passage includes murder and corruption, the films move at a gentle pace, with characterisation and atmosphere being the key driving force.
As proved with Stone Cold, as well as with this film, Robert Harmon understands these stories inside out. He sets these films apart from other detective pictures, and this makes Night Passage another solid entry.
Night Passage is a likeable watch, and a film which delivers a number of important character details for Jesse Stone. His relationship to his colleagues, as well as his emotional attachment to Abby and Boomer, and perfectly set out, and hit all the sweet spots they need to.
Whether Night Passage is watched before Stone Cold, or it is viewed after, doesn’t alter the film’s effectiveness. Selleck continues to excel in the role of Jesse, all the right ingredients are present and correct (tone, mood, writing, etc), and the end result is another strong entry, which furthers Jesse’s story.
Should you wish to check out Night Passage, the movie is available on digital download and DVD from all good entertainment stores, including Amazon US.
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