文森特（羅伯·德尼羅飾）紐約警察局的名高級警探，頭腦冷靜、思縝密，破獲過多起重大案件再加上為人正、秉公執(zhí)法，他贏得了卓著聲名和威望，司器重他，同和搭檔也很尊他。 可是有一天，文森特在查一起重大的殺案時發(fā)現(xiàn)，己離家出走多的兒子喬伊（姆斯·弗蘭科）竟是最大的疑犯，想當年文森特和妻子婚時，兒子無接受父母離婚個事實，毅然家出走，不想在重逢時竟是樣一種境地。 由于喬伊是首嫌疑犯，文森為了調查案子回到了故鄉(xiāng)長，找到自己以的熟人和前妻聽兒子的情況他這才發(fā)覺，子走向墮落，初正是由于父的離異，由于不開的心結和久得不到父親關懷，兒子的生軌道發(fā)生了斜，才最后選了自暴自棄。子的沉淪讓文特倍加愧疚和疼，他不得不次看到自己的親走上法庭面裁決，作為一父親，他想竭維護自己唯一兒子，而作為名警探，他又須忠于自己的責，在這樣進兩難的境地中文森特要如何擇New York City homicide detective Vincent LaMarca has forged a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, making a name for himself as a man intensely committed to his work. But on his latest case, the stakes are higher for Vincent--the suspect he's investigating is his own son. He and Joey have been painfully estranged ever since Vincent divorced his wife and left the decaying boardwalks of Long Beach, Long Island for the anonymity of Manhattan and a successful career with the NYPD. He lives his life in solitude, keeping his girlfriend at arm's length; the closest relationship he maintains is with his partner, Reg--and Vincent makes sure that stops at the precinct door. As long as Vincent lives in the protection of the present, he doesn't have to deal with the pain of his past--or his sorrow over his broken relationship with Joey. But this murder investigation is drawing Vincent home to Long Beach, the self-proclaimed City by the Sea, where the past has been waiting for him to return. The agonizing memory that has tortured him all his life--the death of his father, a convicted murderer who was executed when Vincent was just a boy--still plagues him. In the course of the investigation, he discovers that his own unresolved pain and failures as a father have deeply influenced Joey's life, and now his 18-month-old grandson may be fated to follow their self-destructive paths.