City by the Sea 2002 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 hes 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 arms 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 doesnt 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 Joeys life, and now his 18 month old grandson may be fated to follow their self destructive paths