Manchester by the Sea 2016

     Lee Chandler is forced to return home when his brother Joe dies.  His nephew Patrick needs Lee to step in and be his guardian.  Lee didn’t know that he would be named as guardian and he struggles with the decision.  Lee has a lot of bad memories of the past that caused him to leave Manchester.  He felt he needed to distance himself from his history.  Lee lives in a basement apartment in Quincy away from his family and he works as a janitor.  This area of Massachusetts depends primarily on the fishing industry. 

     Flashbacks are used to tell Lee's history in Manchester.  He can barely carry on a civil conversation with another person?  If someone is looking at him too long, he’ll go over and give them a punch in the face.  He drinks too much and he doesn't want to move back to Manchester.  Patrick doesn't want to move to Quincy, leave his friends, school, sport programs and band.  I question the purpose of this film?  It's not entertaining, Lee is one of the sourest people to be in a film?  He doesn't learn from his mistakes, he doesn't ever let go of the past and he doesn't even learn from the past?  Is being sour enough to win an Academy Award?  3* (This movie is OK)

137 min, Drama directed by Kenneth Lonergan with Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Richard Donelly, Virginia Loring Cooke, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Missy Yager, Stephen Henderson.

Note:  Imdb 7.9 out of 10, 96% critic 78% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*, Amazon 2.8* out of 5* with 2907 reviews, ReelViews 3 1/2** out of 4*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Lynn, Essex, Gloucester, Rockport, Salem Quincy, Cape Ann, Massachusetts.  This is the first movie co-distributed by a streaming service, Amazon Video, to win an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.  Matt Damon was initially set to direct and star.  Kevin Grondin plays a funeral director and this is his job in real life.  Manchester-by-the-Sea is portrayed as working class and blue collar but it’s actually very upscale and affluent.  Michelle Williams is in this film for less than 12 minutes.  Filming was completed in 32 days.  In some cases, the deceased are not buried until spring and it depends on the cemetery.  A steam shovel can be used because of the frozen ground but some cemeteries won't permit the use of this equipment.  The real Manchester Fire Department and EMS personnel are used in the film.