City by the Sea is a 2002 American crime drama film directed by Michael Caton-Jones,[3] starring Robert De Niro, James Franco, Eliza Dushku, Frances McDormand and William Forsythe.

It deals with the family problems of a wayward youth and is set against a man trying to break free of his past.

Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro) is a veteran New York City Police Department detective.

Vincent feels guilty for his father's deed, and has tried to redeem himself; he works hard and well as a cop despite the stigma of being the son of a murderer.

Vincent's son Joey La Marca (James Franco) still lives in Long Beach, but he is a homeless junkie.

However, the on-location scenes in the film that supposedly show the town of Long Beach were in fact shot in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

The film features many aspects of a town that appears to be partially ruined, including scenes of a shabby boardwalk and an abandoned casino/arcade building.

Some other scenes in the film show New York City (including the World Trade Center; the shots were not edited out after the September 11 attacks).