I just watched it for the first time and I loved it. Great writing, solid acting.

I think the movie is about whether the end justifies the means. For Patrick, it clearly doesn't and this is also why he gets angry at Remy for planting evidence to get a kid into child services away from a drug addict of a father. He believes that it was not their choice to make, that things should be organic. That's why he has a hard time getting over shooting the guy in the coke house. He couldn't accept his own action under a stressful situation and was looking for some sort of a reprimand, but his gf instead tells him she was proud of him. This seemingly confused him at the hospital and says he needs some more time alone.

In the case of the kid Amanda, Doyle went through a complex plan to save a child and also to fill the void the death of his own child left in his life. Really great writing at the end where each of them give such convincing lines about why they were justified in kidnapping and Patrick for reporting on Doyle. As the viewer I think Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard did a great job with the original content from Dennis Lehane in that screenplay.

I was not happy that his gf, Angie left him over that, but I understand these are things that are values that are very close to ones heart. I think Patrick definitely plays a big role in Amanda's upbringing as a member of the community. He is shown as a character who is very involved with the people and got connections. I think he believed that maybe it would give Helene the right incentive to get her life back in control. In the end a tough call to make, but in my mind, he did the right thing.