DVD REVIEWS OF NEW RELEASES 'MYSTIC RIVER' CARRIES THE ELEMENTS OF A CLASSIC.

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

In a case of timing is everything, had ``Mystic River'' been released in a different year, it likely would have been an Oscar-winning best picture. Up against Peter Jackson's monumental achievement in ``The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy, Clint Eastwood's dark film had little chance. You don't have to look back far to see that it's a lot better than some past winners, though. ``Chicago''? Give me a break.

Eastwood, who has already won a best picture Oscar for ``Unforgiven,'' has been making films that explore the underside of life since his first directorial effort, ``Play Misty for Me,'' in 1971. While starring in their films, Eastwood learned from some of the best directors in the business - Sergio Leone (``The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'') and particularly Don Siegel (``Dirty Harry'') - but has since surpassed them.

``Mystic River,'' based on the Dennis Lehane novel, is his finest work yet. An intricate story of three boyhood friends who had gone their separate ways but are brought together again when the daughter of one - Jimmy (Sean Penn), a onetime criminal who has gone straight - is murdered. ``Mystic River'' has many shadings - love and hate, guilt and atonement, childhood horrors, faith, to name a few - and Eastwood and cinematographer Tom Stern capture them in the gritty blue-collar streets of today's Boston.

Despite its modern setting, ``Mystic River'' plays out like an ancient tragedy. Each character is conflicted - one foot in the present and the other in a dark past that is always threatening to engulf them. Eastwood chose an exceptional cast who could carry this off. Penn deservedly won the Oscar for best actor in a role that was made for him. (The actor has his limits, though. While you can imagine Russell Crowe being able to tackle the grittiness of Jimmy, it's hard to see Penn playing the dashing British naval captain Jack Aubrey in ``Master and Commander.'')

Tim Robbins, who plays Dave, the adult scarred from being molested as a child, also deservedly picked up the best supporting actor award. Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden and Laura Linney are all superb in supporting roles.

The three-disc DVD release - the third disc is a CD of the soundtrack by Eastwood (not his strong suit) - gives you plenty to think about with commentary, interviews and even a tour of Boston by Lehane.

``Mystic River - Special 3-Disc Edition'' (Warner; $39.98) includes commentary by Robbins and Bacon, a featurette with cast and crew interviews, a making-of featurette and selections from ``The Charlie Rose Show.'' The film is also available with no extras for $27.95.

'Field of Dreams'

If you film it, they will come - and interpret it in ways you had never imagined.

That's what happened after screenwriter and director Phil Alden Robinson made ``Field of Dreams.'' A 15th-anniversary edition of the 1989 film is out today on DVD. Adapted from the book by W.P. Kinsella, it starred Kevin Costner as Ray, an Iowa farmer facing bankruptcy who hears a voice telling him to plow over part of his cornfield and build a baseball diamond.

Audiences responded to the film differently - some saw it as a father-and-son story, others loved it because they were baseball fans, and others saw religious or mystical elements in the film.

Robinson was aware of these aspects while writing the script but was more concerned with creating a structure for the film, which he did by turning it into a mystery. ``You don't know who the voice is. So it becomes about who is this voice and why is he talking to Ray.''

But studio executives wanted the voice explained. ``I said, 'No, no, as soon as you do that you've lost the real magic, and you've taken away from the audience the chance to read into it what they will.' '' Audiences certainly did, and some of the interpretations floored Robinson. He recalls hearing about a pastor who analyzed the film for his congregation scene by scene in New Testament terms.

``I kept thinking, 'I didn't mean any of that,' but yes you could absolutely read it that way.''

His favorite part of the pastor's interpretation was when Ray suddenly finds himself back in 1972 and the theater marquee says ``The Godfather.'' The pastor noted the title was composed of two words - god and father. ``I wanted to write this guy and tell him we wanted a film from 1972 that won a bunch of Oscars, but then I realized that he's just as right as everyone else is.''

So it was just a coincidence he chose ``The Godfather''?

``An interesting coincidence,'' says Robinson as he begins to hum the theme from ``The Twilight Zone.''

A big baseball fan (he roots for the Dodgers), the director says that one of the most satisfying things is that people who love baseball and people who don't know the first thing about it responded just the same. He remembers a man coming up to him and saying, ``I hate baseball, I hate sentiment, but this is the greatest (expletive) film I've ever seen.''

But sentiment plays a big part in ``Field of Dreams,'' particularly involving Ray and his father. The 54-year-old Robinson saw Ray's dad like so many men who grew up during the Depression and into World War II who did not show emotions easily.

That relationship resonated with a lot of people. They write Robinson, saying, ``I haven't talked to my dad in 20 years, and I saw your film and I called him up and said, 'Let's have a catch.' ''

``Field of Dreams - 15th Anniversary'' (Universal; $26.98) includes commentary by Robinson, remastered picture and sound, newly discovered deleted scenes, five featurettes and a 90-minute documentary, on two discs.

'City of God'

Fernando Meirellos' unsettling look at the mean streets of Rio de Janeiro, ``City of God,'' garnered him a surprising best director Oscar nomination. The camera work is dazzlingly kinetic, mirroring the chaos of life in the slums as told by Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues). The title refers to an area where the poor are, in essence, walled off from the rest of the city and drug dealers and gangs operate as lords, fighting over what little is there.

Meirellos does punctuate the film, which has a fair amount of violence, with some less-than-grim moments (lighter might be too strong a word), but for the most part he keeps an unflinching eye on a shocking scene.

``City of Gold'' (Miramax; $29.99) includes ``News From a Personal War'' documentary.

'Along Came Polly'

The Jennifer Aniston-Ben Stiller romantic-comedy ``Along Came Polly'' is neither very romantic nor funny. Stiller plays a insurance risk-assessment analyst whose new wife (Debra Messing) betrays him on their honeymoon. That - surprise! - sends him into a timid life of never taking chances, but then crazy Polly (Aniston) crashes into his world. There are the usual predictable send-ups. Needless to say, all three actors have done better work on television.

``Along Came Polly'' (Universal; $26.98) includes commentary by director John Hamburg, an alternate opening, deleted scenes, outtakes and a making-of featurette.

'Locust,' 'Tarzan'

In the oldies category, John Schlesinger's handsome 1975 adaptation of Nathanael West's classic novel of Hollywood, ``The Day of the Locust,'' deserves a look. Karen Black plays Faye, an aspiring actress with a decided lack of talent. Donald Sutherland is Homer, a geeky neighbor who worships her. While the costumes and authentic-looking details place the film in the 1930s, the story that traverses the seamy side of Tinseltown is timeless. The apocalyptic ending seems out of a bad dream, or maybe it was only presaging some of the bad movies I've seen recently.

If you're into nostalgia, there's ``The Tarzan Collection Starring Johnny Weissmuller.'' The films, released between 1932 and 1942, got progressively campier as they went along. But Weissmuller had the best yodel and looked good in a loincloth.

``The Day of the Locust'' (Paramount; $14.99)

``The Tarzan Collection Starring Johnny Weissmuller'' (Warner; $59.92) includes a new documentary on Tarzan, vintage shorts and the movies ``Tarzan the Ape Man,'' ``Tarzan Escapes,'' ``Tarzan and His Mate,'' ``Tarzan Finds a Son,'' ``Tarzan's Secret Treasure'' and ``Tarzan's New York Adventure,'' on four discs.

'SCTV,' 'Quantum Leap'

On the box-set television front, check out ``SCTV Network/90 - Volume 1,'' which contains nine 90-minute episodes from the first NBC season (1981) of the great comedy ensemble. Members included John Candy, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara and Dave Thomas. The late-night show, which grew out of the Second City comedy troupe, was smarter and more subversive than the more-celebrated ``Saturday Night Live.'' If you didn't catch it the first time, get yourself some laughs.

``Quantum Leap - The Complete First Season'' stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, who, due to a mishap, finds himself stuck traveling through time. The premise allowed him to go back and change history when it was appropriate. He never knew where he'd end up and would be helped out by a holographic guide played by an amusing Dean Stockwell. Don't ask how all this works; bottom line is that it was a fairly entertaining series.

``SCTV Network/90 - Volume 1' (Shout Factory; $89.98) includes commentaries by Flaherty and Levy, the SCTV reunion from the 1999 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and four new documentaries, on five discs.

``Quantum Leap - The Complete First Season'' (Universal; $59.98) includes eight episodes, including the two-hour pilot and a making-of featurette, on three discs.

Rob Lowman, [phone]

robert.lowman(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1) SEAN PENN, left, and TIM ROBBINS in ``Mystic River''

(2) KEVIN COSTNER in ``Field of Dreams''

(3) JOHNNY WEISSMULLER as Tarzan

(4) RICK MORANIS, left, and DAVE THOMAS in ``SCTV Network/90''