Eastwood was adamant that Mystic River be shot on location in Boston, Massachusetts - even the score was recorded there with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. "I never seriously considered any other location," he relates. "This project belongs in Boston. The city and its neighborhoods are as much a part of this project as the actors. There is no Mystic River anywhere else."

Filmed entirely in and around the city, Mystic River depicts the local neighborhoods and surrounding environment with almost documentary accuracy. The same is true for the interior sets, which were built in a warehouse located in Canton, Massachusetts, a suburb just south of Boston.

Academy Award-winning production designer Henry Bumstead, who won Oscars for his work on To Kill a Mockingbird and The Sting, as well as receiving nominations for Vertigo and Unforgiven, had the responsibility of replicating all of the interiors of the neighborhood homes, as well as constructing the fateful Black Emerald Bar, the location of Mystic River's most pivotal scene.

Situated at the water's edge with a breathtaking view of the city skyline near the Mystic River Bridge, the Black Emerald Bar was built from scratch on an empty industrial lot to evoke the setting described in the script.

"I trust Henry Bumstead completely," Eastwood explains, "and I really believe he is the best production designer working in film. His ability to solve creative problems, particularly under deadline, is remarkable. He's helped me out with western towns, newsrooms, space ships and ocean trawlers. Now, what he's done with a weathered New England bar is a perfect fit, with just the right visual ingredients. Henry is a special talent and I'm lucky to have him on this project."

In addition to working with the Massachusetts Port Authority, virtually all of the scenes filmed in the city of Boston were done in conjunction with Mayor Thomas Menino's Office of Special Events, which helped coordinate all permits, traffic control and security. Notable events during production included the closing of three incoming lanes on the Tobin/Mystic Bridge for the shooting of a scene in which Sean and Whitey respond to a road rage accident.

"I'm very happy with the picture's look," says Eastwood. "The piece was lit to look like a day ending. Before our cinematographer Tom Stern was the director of photography on Blood Work, he had been a chief lighting technician for years, working on many of my pictures under Bruce Surtees and Jack Green."

Another note of interest is the inclusion of Mystic River author Dennis Lehane in the neighborhood Columbus Day parade sequence. Lehane was cast as a local politician, waving to the crowd while sitting on the back deck of a convertible.

The single most unpredictable variable in the film's production was the New England weather. Fortunately, Eastwood's focused directing style and the high level of professionalism displayed by the cast enabled the Malpaso company to efficiently complete key scenes, minimizing the necessity for retakes. Likewise, in many instances the New England Fall weather, characterized by intermittent rain and autumn leaves, helped enhance specific scenes.