The Place Beyond the Pines
In 1997, Luke Glanton (Gosling) is a locally well-known motorcycle stuntman working in a traveling act for state fairs. During a fair in Schenectady, New York, Luke reunites with his ex-lover Romina Gutierrez (Mendes) and drives her home. He asks her out on a date, but she declines, as she has become involved with another man named Kofi Kancam (Ali). Luke later discovers that Romina has a baby son that he fathered. Luke does not want their son to grow up without knowing who his father was, as he himself suffered the same fate. Luke quits his job to support Romina and their son, but Romina is reluctant to have him in their son's life. He turns to a local auto repair shop owner, Robin Van Der Hook, for part-time employment as he repeatedly attempts to insert himself into his son's life. Earning little, Luke asks Robin for more money so he can contribute to his son's care.
Robin reveals he was once a bank robber and offers to partner with Luke in hitting several local banks. They perform a few successful heists, in which Luke performs the robbery then uses his motorbike as a getaway vehicle and hides it in a truck driven by Robin. Luke uses his share of the money to win back Romina's trust and visits her and his son more often. Kofi objects to Luke's presence and the two get into a fight at Kofi's house, resulting in Luke's arrest after he hits Kofi in the head with a pipe wrench. Romina files a restraining order against Luke, vowing that he will never see his son again. After Robin bails him out of jail, Luke insists on resuming their bank robberies. Robin objects, not wanting to press their luck, and the two have a falling-out that results in Robin dismantling the motorbike and Luke, at gunpoint, taking back the bail money he had repaid Robin in order to buy a new bike.
Luke attempts to rob a bank alone and is pursued by police. He seeks refuge in a house, chased on foot by rookie police officer Avery Cross (Cooper). Luke retreats until he is cornered upstairs and calls Romina. Just before Avery confronts him, Luke asks Romina not to tell their child about who he was. Avery enters the room and accidentally fires his gun, hitting Luke in the stomach. Luke fires back, hitting Avery in the leg before falling backwards out of the window and dying. Upon being questioned about the shooting, Avery reluctantly states that Luke fired first.
Avery gains hero status in the community after killing Luke, but Avery feels remorse, especially as Avery's fellow officers illegally seize the stolen money from Romina's home and give him the lion's share. He later attempts to return the money to Romina, but she rejects his offer. Avery eventually tries to turn the money in to the chief of police, who rebuffs him, and says he does not want to get involved or see Avery inform on his colleagues. Following the advice of his father, a retired judge, Avery tape records a fellow officer asking him to illegally remove cocaine from the evidence locker Avery is supervising. Avery uses the recording to expose the illegal practices in the police department and pressures the district attorney to hire him-–a law school graduate–- as an assistant district attorney.
Fifteen years later, Avery is running for public office and has to deal with his now-teenage son A. J., who has gotten into trouble with drugs. Avery has separated from his wife Jennifer and agrees to have A. J. move into his home. A. J. transfers into the high school in Schenectady. There, A. J. befriends a boy named Jason Kancam (DeHaan); neither A. J. nor Jason knows that Jason is Luke's son. The two are arrested for felony drug possession, and when Avery is called in to pick up his son, he recognizes Jason's name. He uses his influence to get Jason's charge dropped to a misdemeanor and orders A. J. to stay away from Jason, but the boys continue to talk regularly.
Jason seeks the truth about his biological father, whom Romina refuses to discuss with him. Kofi, who now has a daughter with Romina, finally tells Jason his father's name. Jason discovers Luke's past on the Internet. He visits Robin's auto shop, and Robin tells Jason more about Luke, including his superior motorbiking skills. Robin shows Jason a newspaper article with a photo of his father and the officer who killed him. Back in school, A. J. pressures Jason to steal Oxycontin from a pharmacy and bring it to his house for a party. When he enters the house, Jason sees a framed photograph of Avery and realizes that A. J.'s father is the man who killed his own father. Jason confronts A. J., but the two get into a heated argument and Jason is hospitalized after A. J. beats him. The next morning, Jason buys a gun, breaks into the Cross family home, and beats A. J. with it.
When Avery arrives, Jason takes him hostage and orders him to drive into the woods. Although Jason intends to kill Avery, he reconsiders after Avery breaks down and tearfully apologizes for killing Jason's father. Jason takes Avery's wallet from his jacket and leaves. In the wallet, Jason finds a photo of himself as a baby with his parents, which Avery had stolen from the evidence locker. The police take Avery home, where he finds EMTs treating A. J.'s wounds. Sometime later, Avery wins his bid for New York Attorney General, with A. J. at his side. Jason purchases a motorbike reminiscent of his father's and rides away, destination unknown. Romina receives an envelope addressed to "Mom". Inside is the old photograph of herself with Luke and an infant Jason.
revenge, psychological, violence