The Place Beyond the Pines

The Place Beyond the Pines is a 2012 American crime drama directed by Derek Cianfrance, unfolding across three interconnected stories spanning 15 years in Schenectady, New York. The film opens with Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), a nomadic motorcycle stunt rider performing in a traveling carnival's globe of death act. During a stop in Altamont, Luke reconnects with Romina Gutierrez (Eva Mendes), a former lover, and discovers she has secretly given birth to his infant son, Jason. Determined to be a father, Luke quits the carnival and takes a job at an auto repair shop owned by Robin Van Der Hook (Ben Mendelsohn), a grizzled mechanic with a criminal past. Desperate to provide for his son, Luke turns to bank robbery, using his extraordinary motorcycle skills to make getaways. The robberies escalate in ambition and risk, and Luke becomes increasingly reckless, especially after Romina rejects his money and his presence in her life.

The narrative then shifts to Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), a rookie police officer with a law degree and an ambitious streak. Avery is married to Jennifer (Rose Byrne) and they have an infant son, AJ. He comes from a politically connected family, his father Al Cross (Harris Yulin) is a retired judge, and Avery sees police work as a way to make a real difference. However, he quickly discovers that the Schenectady Police Department is deeply corrupt, with veteran officers like Detective Peter Deluca (Ray Liotta) running illegal schemes and bullying younger cops into complicity.

The one and only encounter between Luke and Avery occurs during a bank robbery gone wrong. Luke, now acting alone, botches a job and is chased by police through suburban backyards. Avery, still a rookie, corners Luke in a house. The confrontation ends with Luke dead and Avery wounded in the knee. Avery is hailed as a hero by the department and the media, but he knows the shooting was not clean, Luke was trying to surrender. Burdened by guilt and disgusted by the corruption around him, Avery begins secretly working with District Attorney Bill Killcullen (Bruce Greenwood) to expose the department's rot, using Deluca's attempt to bribe him with stolen money as leverage. [edit]

Luke Glanton rides motorcycles inside a steel sphere for a traveling carnival, a life of cheap thrills and no roots. When the carnival passes through Schenectady, New York, he looks up Romina Gutierrez, a woman he had a brief fling with a year earlier. To his shock, Romina has a baby boy named Jason, and Luke is the father. Romina now lives with Kofi Kancam (Mahershala Ali), a decent man who provides stability for her and the child. She wants nothing from Luke, but he cannot accept that. He quits the carnival and stays in town, taking a job at Robin Van Der Hook's auto repair shop. Robin, a former criminal, sees Luke's desperation and suggests a way to make quick money: bank robbery. Luke agrees, using his motorcycle for getaways while Robin drives a box truck to pick him up after each heist. The robberies are successful, but Luke grows more reckless, especially after Romina refuses his money. He decides to rob a bank alone, without Robin's help.

Avery Cross is a newly minted police officer in Schenectady, a law school graduate from a political family. He is idealistic but quickly learns that the department is rotten. Detective Peter Deluca runs a side business stealing from crime scenes and drug dealers, and he pressures Avery to go along. Avery resists but keeps quiet, hoping to work his way up. One day, he responds to a bank robbery in progress. The robber, Luke, is cornered by police but escapes on his motorcycle, leading a chase through backyards. Avery, separated from his partner, enters a house and finds Luke hiding. Luke puts down his gun and raises his hands, but Avery, nervous and adrenaline-fueled, shoots him. Luke dies on the floor. Avery is hailed as a hero, but he is tormented by the memory of Luke surrendering. He also discovers that Deluca has stolen money from the robbery scene. Avery decides to cooperate with District Attorney Killcullen to build a case against Deluca and the corrupt cops, using the stolen money as evidence. The case goes public, Deluca is indicted, and Avery becomes a symbol of integrity. But his personal life suffers; his marriage to Jennifer deteriorates, and he becomes distant from his son AJ.

Fifteen years later, Jason Kancam is a quiet, brooding teenager raised by Romina and Kofi. He knows nothing about his biological father except that he died. AJ Cross, now a rebellious, entitled troublemaker, lives with his divorced mother Jennifer and rarely sees Avery, who has become District Attorney and is running for New York Attorney General. The two boys attend the same high school and are drawn together by circumstance. Jason discovers the truth about Luke through old newspaper clippings and a visit to Robin, who tells him about the robberies and his father's love for him. AJ, meanwhile, resents his father's political ambitions and acts out through drugs and petty crime. The story builds toward a collision between Jason and AJ that forces both to confront the legacies their fathers left behind.[edit]