Manchester by the Sea

Playwright Kenneth Lonergan transitioned to writer/director with 2000's Oscar-nominated You Can Count On Me. His second feature, Margaret, was an epic post-production trainwreck. His third film, Manchester by the Sea, was smooth-sailing; the end result is a good family dramedy.

Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is a janitor in Quincy, Massachusetts. He's good at his job but not good with people. He was married to Randi (Michelle Williams) but not anymore. His solitary life is disrupted when his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), has a fatal heart attack. Lee finds himself the legal guardian of his nephew, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). This requires him to move back to his hometown of Manchester-by-the-Sea to tend to family matters. While Lee doesn't consider himself a good legal guardian, he soon softens and confronts a tragedy in his life.

And that's pretty much the whole movie. In 137 minutes.

It's largely character-driven rather than plot-driven. Lee's misery is the antagonist; his current relationships are poor and starting new ones is agonizing. He just wants to return to his old life. He even bookends the film in bar-fights. Flashbacks explain his misery, though they're so abrupt you might not know they're flashbacks.

But this film has a surprising sense of humor. Much of it comes from Patrick, a sarcastic teen more open than Lee. He's mostly unfazed by his father's death until a scene involving frozen chicken. Jill (Heather Burns), the mother of one of Patrick's girlfriends, is welcome comic relief. Lee's personal interactions in the opening was funny.

Affleck as Lee was a compelling character. He's still a hard worker despite his misery. He'll still sort out Joe's matters even if he wants some one else to. One can tell a lot about him by his miserable face. We still sympathize with him when his major tragedy is revealed.

Meanwhile, Randi mostly appears in flashbacks save for one memorable scene with Lee at the end. The supporting cast also features Matthew Broderick as Patrick's strict stepfather. There's also an amusing cameo by Lonergan himself as a pedestrian who questions Lee's parenting.

Manchester by the Sea's leisurely stroll across New England may bore some. But its characters make the runtime and sparse plot more enjoyable. The dramedy is the best part as it says there is laughter after grief. And I need some laughter after the stress in my life these past few weeks.