''Manchester by the Sea'' is a 2016 American
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
written and directed by
Kenneth Lonergan
Kenneth Lonergan (born October 16, 1962) is an American film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the co-writer of the film ''Gangs of New York'' (2002), and wrote and directed '' You Can Count on Me'' (2000), ''Margaret'' (2011), and ' ...
that stars
Casey Affleck
Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt (born August 12, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award. He beg ...
,
Michelle Williams,
Kyle Chandler
Kyle Martin Chandler (born September 17, 1965) is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut in a 1988 television film, '' Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story'', Chandler's first regular television role was in the ABC drama '' Ho ...
, and
Lucas Hedges
Lucas Hedges (born December 12, 1996) is an American actor. A son of filmmaker Peter Hedges, he studied theater at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Hedges began his acting career with a supporting role in Wes Anderson's com ...
. Centered around the themes of
depression,
guilt
Guilt may refer to:
*Guilt (emotion), an emotion that occurs when a person feels that they have violated a moral standard
*Culpability, a legal term
*Guilt (law), a legal term
Music
*Guilt (album), ''Guilt'' (album), a 2009 album by Mims
*Guilt ( ...
,
grief
Grief is the response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or some living thing that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, grief also has physical, cogni ...
, responsibility,
dysfunctional families
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often child neglect or abuse and sometimes even all of the above on the part of individual parents occur continuously and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such ...
, and
post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
, the plot follows a depressed and grief-stricken man who was accidentally responsible for the deaths of his three children and must care for his teenage nephew after the death of his brother.
The film premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
on January 23, 2016, and was picked up by
Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...
for distribution. ''Manchester by the Sea'' was filmed during March and April 2015 in the
eponymous Massachusetts town and other towns in the state, such as
Beverly,
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
,
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
,
Swampscott
Swampscott () is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population was 15,111 as of the 2020 United States Census. A former summer resort on Massachusetts Ba ...
,
Lynn,
Middleton,
Tewksbury, and
Salem. It began a
limited release
__FORCETOC__
Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
on November 18, 2016, before a
wide release In the American motion picture industry, a wide release (short for nationwide release) is a film playing at the same time at cinemas in most markets across the country. This is in contrast to the formerly common practice of a roadshow theatrical re ...
on December 16, 2016. It grossed $79million worldwide against a budget of $9million.
The film received critical acclaim and was widely counted among the best films of 2016; the
National Board of Review
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...
listed it as the
top film of 2016. Critics complimented the performances of Affleck, Hedges, and Williams, as well as Lonergan's screenplay and direction. At the
89th Academy Awards, ''Manchester by the Sea'' won awards for
Best Actor for Affleck and
Best Original Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...
, and additional nominations for
Best Picture
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
,
Best Supporting Actor (Hedges), and
Best Supporting Actress (Williams). Affleck also won the
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for
Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama; the film was also nominated in four other categories. The
British Academy Film Awards
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...
nominated the picture for six awards, of which it won
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporatio ...
for Affleck and
Best Original Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...
.
Plot
Lee Chandler is a
depressed and
asocial
Asociality refers to the lack of motivation to engage in social interaction, or a preference for solitary activities. Asociality may be associated with avolition, but it can, moreover, be a manifestation of limited opportunities for social relati ...
janitor who lives alone in a basement apartment in
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...
. One day, he receives a phone call informing that his brother Joe, a fisherman who lives in
Manchester-by-the-Sea
Manchester-by-the-Sea (also known simply as Manchester, its name prior to 1989) is a coastal town on Cape Ann, in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is known for scenic beaches and vista points. According to the 2020 population ...
, has suffered
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...
; Joe dies before Lee can make it to the hospital.
Lee insists on being the one to tell Joe's teenage son Patrick about his father's death. While making funeral arrangements, they are reminded Joe's body cannot be buried until spring as the ground is frozen. Lee makes plans to remain in Manchester, living in Joe's house until the delayed burial.
When Lee meets with Joe's attorney he is shocked to discover Joe named him as Patrick's legal guardian. Flashbacks reveal that Lee once lived in Manchester with his then-wife Randi and their three small children. While intoxicated one night, Lee forgot to put the guard in front of the fireplace, leading to the house fire that killed his children. No criminal charges were filed against him, as the police ruled it a tragic accident. However, at the station, a guilt-ridden Lee stole an officer's gun, attempting to shoot himself dead. He and Randi subsequently divorced, and Lee left town. He is reluctant to commit to the guardianship, as it would require him to move back to Manchester.
Plans are begun for Patrick to move to Boston with Lee but Patrick has strong ties to the Manchester community and stubbornly objects. Lee commits to staying until the end of the school year. Patrick wants to live with his estranged mother Elise, who still lives in the area. Lee is opposed to this as her history with alcoholism led her to abandon her family, but Patrick decides to reconnect with her over lunch.
Elise has committed to Christianity and sobriety with her fiancé Jeffrey, but during an awkward meal with them, Patrick finds he is unable to connect with her. He is further unsettled when Jeffrey emails him and insists on being an intermediary in any future communication between them. Lee's positive comments about Elise's sobriety lead Patrick to believe his uncle is trying to get rid of him, assertions Lee denies.
In response to this strain in their relationship, Lee takes steps to possibly extend his stay in Manchester and seeks to spend more time with Patrick. Over time, they re-establish their bond, despite conflicts over Joe's boat, Patrick's girlfriends, and their future living arrangements.
However, staying in Manchester is still painful for Lee, as he is surrounded by reminders of his past. One day, Lee runs into Randi with her newborn child. A sobbing Randi expresses remorse for her treatment of him during their divorce and asks him to have lunch. Lee deflects her apology, feeling that he does not deserve it. When she insists they reconnect and pleads with him not to "just die", Lee is overwhelmed with emotion and has to leave before he breaks down.
Distraught, Lee gets drunk at a bar, picks a fight with strangers, and is knocked out. He awakens in the living room of Joe's friend George and breaks down in tears. At home, Patrick shows his uncle deference after seeing his battered state and pictures of his deceased children. Lee arranges for George and his wife to adopt Patrick so that he can remain in Manchester while Lee takes a job in Boston. When Patrick asks Lee why he cannot remain in Manchester, Lee says that he "can't beat it."
During a walk after Joe's
burial service, Lee tells Patrick he is searching for a residence in Boston with an extra room so Patrick can visit whenever he wants. In the final scene, Lee and Patrick go fishing on Joe's refurbished boat, which Patrick has inherited.
Cast
*
Casey Affleck
Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt (born August 12, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award. He beg ...
as Lee Chandler, a grief-stricken loner
*
Lucas Hedges
Lucas Hedges (born December 12, 1996) is an American actor. A son of filmmaker Peter Hedges, he studied theater at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Hedges began his acting career with a supporting role in Wes Anderson's com ...
as Patrick Chandler, Lee's 16-year-old nephew and charge
** Ivy O'Brien as young Patrick
*
Michelle Williams as Randi, Lee's ex-wife
*
Kyle Chandler
Kyle Martin Chandler (born September 17, 1965) is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut in a 1988 television film, '' Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story'', Chandler's first regular television role was in the ABC drama '' Ho ...
as Joseph "Joe" Chandler, Lee's brother and Patrick's father
*
C. J. Wilson
Christopher John Wilson (born November 18, 1980) is an American auto racing team owner and former professional baseball pitcher. Wilson pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers from 2005 to 2011 and the Los Angeles Angel ...
as George, the Chandlers' family friend
*
Tate Donovan
Tate Buckley Donovan (born September 25, 1963) is an American actor, comedian and television director. He is known for portraying Tom Shayes in ''Damages'', Jimmy Cooper in ''The O.C.'', and the voice of the title character in the 1997 Disney ...
as Patrick's hockey coach
*
Kara Hayward
Kara Hayward (born November 17, 1998) is an American actress. She is known for her lead role as Suzy Bishop in the 2012 feature film ''Moonrise Kingdom'', which earned her a nomination for the Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress in ...
as Silvie McGann, one of Patrick's girlfriends
*
Anna Baryshnikov
Anna Katerina Baryshnikov (born May 22, 1992) is an American actress. She had her breakout role as Sandy in the 2016 film '' Manchester by the Sea'' and was a series regular in the CBS sitcom '' Superior Donuts'' first season. From 2019 to 2021, ...
as Sandy, one of Patrick's girlfriends
*
Heather Burns
Heather Burns (born April 7, 1975) is an American actress, known for her role as Miss Rhode Island Cheryl Frasier in the 2000 film '' Miss Congeniality'' and its 2005 sequel, '' Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous''. Her other film appearan ...
as Jill, Sandy's mother
*
Gretchen Mol
Gretchen Mol (born November 8, 1972) is an American actress and former model. She is known for her role as Gillian Darmody in the HBO series '' Boardwalk Empire'' (2010–2014). She also appeared in the films ''Rounders'' (1998), ''Celebrity'' ...
as Elise Chandler, Joe's ex-wife and Patrick's mother
*
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the title character in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's ''The Lion King'' (1994), ...
as Jeffrey, Elise's fiancé
*
Josh Hamilton
Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...
as Wes, Joe's lawyer
*
Kenneth Lonergan
Kenneth Lonergan (born October 16, 1962) is an American film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the co-writer of the film ''Gangs of New York'' (2002), and wrote and directed '' You Can Count on Me'' (2000), ''Margaret'' (2011), and ' ...
in a cameo as a Manchester pedestrian
*
Stephen Henderson as Mr. Emery, Lee's boss
*
Erica McDermott
Erica McDermott (born April 26, 1973) is an American actress, perhaps known best for her supporting role as Cindy "Tar" Eklund, the sister of the lead character, in the David O. Russell film ''The Fighter'' (2010).
Biography
On 26 April 1973, Mc ...
as Sue, the boat yard boss
Themes
''Manchester by the Sea'' is a treatment of profound grief from which it is difficult or impossible to recover. In an essay in ''
Cineaste'', Colin Fleming writes that "the question Lonergan invites us to ask ourselves is how on earth would we be able to carry on after an event so tragically full of loss and guilt." Speaking to the persistence of grief, ''
Film Comment
''Film Comment'' is the official publication of Film at Lincoln Center. It features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 1962 and originally released as a quarterly, ''Film Co ...
'' magazine says that "Lonergan is telling us that Lee's grief cannot be contained or subdued because his past lives on wherever he goes."
[Koresky, Michael (November/December 2016), "The World is Full of Weeping." '']Film Comment
''Film Comment'' is the official publication of Film at Lincoln Center. It features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 1962 and originally released as a quarterly, ''Film Co ...
''. 52 (6):48–52 Remarking on the way flash-backs appear suddenly during the movie, critic Anthony Lane says that Lonergan "proceeds on the assumption that things are hard, some irreparably so, and that it's the job of a film not to smooth them over."
[ He also noted the tragedy is juxtaposed with "the harsh comedy that colors much of the dialogue, and the near-farcical frequency with which things go wrong."][ Along those same lines, critic Steven Mears called the film "a study of grief and reticence that finds droll humor in those very sources,"][Mears, Steven (January/February 2017), "Manchester by the Sea." ''Film Comment''. 53 (1):47–49] and Richard Alleva says the loving but tense relationship between Lee and Patrick "keeps the story nicely balanced between rough hewn comedy and delicate pathos."[Alleva, Richard (February 10, 2017),]
Character Studies
". ''Commonweal
Commonweal or common weal may refer to:
* Common good, what is shared and beneficial for members of a given community
* Common Weal, a Scottish think tank and advocacy group
* Commonweal (magazine), ''Commonweal'' (magazine), an American lay-Cath ...
''. 144 (3):21–22 Explaining his objective, Lonergan said,
I don't like the fact that, nowadays, it feels like it's not permissible to leave something unresolved... Some people live with their trauma for years. I'm not interested in rubbing people's faces in suffering... But I don't like this lie that everybody gets over things that easily. Some people can't get over something major that's happened to them at all; why can’t they have a movie too?
The film's events take place through the cultural filter of a blue-collar
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
, New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
community. John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...
and Matt Damon
Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Americ ...
initially approached Lonergan about developing the story in New England.[Smart, Jack (November 24, 2016), "Kenneth Lonergan, 'Manchester by the Sea'." ''Back Stage''. 57 (47):16] As Lonergan researched the areas surrounding Manchester-by-the-Sea, he sought to include details specific to the area, such as its distance from Quincy, the delayed burial because of the frozen ground in a historical cemetery, and the realities of fishing life.[ Critic ]Sam Lansky
Sam Lansky (born September 23, 1988)Connelly, Sherryl (January 14, 2016)"Time magazine culture editor Sam Lansky reveals his wild days in new memoir 'The Gilded Razor'. ''NEW YORK DAILY NEWS''. Retrieved April 6, 2017. is an American journalist, a ...
said the lead character's New England roots make him "disinclined to emote",[ and ]Tom Shone
Tom Shone is an American film critic and writer. He was the ''Sunday Times'' film critic from 1994 to 1999 and has written for ''Vogue'', ''Slate'', the ''New Yorker'', the ''New York Times'' and ''The Guardian.
He is the author of ''Blockbuster: ...
said Lonergan's dialog forces "the story’s heartbreak to peep from behind these tough, flinty New England exteriors."[Shone, Tom (December 16, 2016), "Drowning, Not Waving." ''Newsweek Global''. 167 (22):63]
Production
Matt Damon and John Krasinski brainstormed a film about an "emotionally crippled" handyman, and took the idea to Lonergan for his input, thinking Krasinski would star and Damon would direct.[ Damon had worked with Lonergan on the 2011 film '']Margaret
Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian.
Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
''. Both actors became occupied with other projects while Lonergan worked on the screenplay for three years.[ After Damon read a rough draft of the script, he insisted Lonergan should direct the project and that Damon would star in it.][Tapley, Kristopher (January 21, 2016)]
"With ‘Margaret’ Trauma Behind Him, Kenneth Lonergan Returns to Sundance With ‘Manchester by the Sea’
." ''Variety''. Retrieved April 14, 2017. They announced they would collaborate on the project on September 6, 2014, and pre-production
Pre-production is the process of planning some of the elements involved in a film, television show, play, or other performance, as distinct from production and post-production. Pre-production ends when the planning ends and the content starts ...
began two days later.[ However, Damon would not have a break in his schedule for another year.][ In early December 2014, while filming '' The Finest Hours'', ]Casey Affleck
Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt (born August 12, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award. He beg ...
told ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' he would replace Damon in the lead role. Damon said he "wouldn't give this role up to anybody but Casey Affleck."
Affleck officially replaced Damon on January 5, 2015. On January 9, Michelle Williams was selected to play the lead character's former wife
and Kyle Chandler
Kyle Martin Chandler (born September 17, 1965) is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut in a 1988 television film, '' Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story'', Chandler's first regular television role was in the ABC drama '' Ho ...
was cast as Affleck's character's older brother on February 24. In April 2015, Lucas Hedges
Lucas Hedges (born December 12, 1996) is an American actor. A son of filmmaker Peter Hedges, he studied theater at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Hedges began his acting career with a supporting role in Wes Anderson's com ...
joined the cast of the film. Lonergan has said Hedges' audition was "special" but that he was unsure how the young actor would perform "because his background is so different rom that of the character Ultimately he did a beautiful job."[ It was later revealed ]Erica McDermott
Erica McDermott (born April 26, 1973) is an American actress, perhaps known best for her supporting role as Cindy "Tar" Eklund, the sister of the lead character, in the David O. Russell film ''The Fighter'' (2010).
Biography
On 26 April 1973, Mc ...
had also been cast. Coming from a theater background, Lonergan had the actors rehearse table read
The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted.
In addition to the ca ...
-style for two weeks before filming.[McGrath, Charles (September 16, 2016),]
"This Time, Kenneth Lonergan Has the Last Say"
. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
began on March 23, 2015, with scenes filmed in the town Manchester-by-the-Sea
Manchester-by-the-Sea (also known simply as Manchester, its name prior to 1989) is a coastal town on Cape Ann, in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is known for scenic beaches and vista points. According to the 2020 population ...
, Massachusetts, and the North Shore at locations in Beverly, Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
, Swampscott
Swampscott () is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population was 15,111 as of the 2020 United States Census. A former summer resort on Massachusetts Ba ...
, Lynn, Middleton, Tewksbury, and Salem. Filming wrapped on April 30, 2015. In October 2018, Damon said in an interview with '' The Bill Simmons Podcast'' Lonergan had originally planned to film a different ending to the film that would have been a retreating drone shot of a flashback of Affleck's and Williams' characters, their children and extended family, on his brother's boat. The scene was determined to be too expensive to film, although Damon said the film's unexpected financial success meant it could have been filmed after all.
Initially, Gigi Pritzker
Gigi Pritzker (born July 27, 1962) is an American billionaire and film producer. She is a member of the Pritzker family.
Pritzker is co-founder of the film production and financing company Odd Lot Entertainment, producing several films includi ...
was due to produce and finance the film through her company Odd Lot Entertainment
OddLot Entertainment was an American independent film studio, founded by Gigi Pritzker and Deborah Del Prete in 2001, which dealt with financing and production of films.
History OddLot Entertainment
In 2013 OddLot has produced a cinematic versio ...
.[ In March 2015, however, it was reported Kimberly Steward, through her company K Period Media, would produce and finance the film with Damon (through his company ]Pearl Street Films
Pearl Street Films was an American film and television production company based at Warner Bros. Studios.
History
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck established it, and Jennifer Todd
Jennifer Todd (born October 3, 1969) is an American film and tel ...
), Chris Moore (through CMP), Kevin J. Walsh (through his company B Story), and Lauren Beck, along with additional financing from Sierra/Affinity. The executive producers were Josh Godfrey, John Krasinski, Declan Baldwin, and Bill Migliore.
Music
Lesley Barber
Lesley Barber (born 1962) is a Canadian composer of music for film, theatre, chamber and orchestral ensembles and she is also a conductor, pianist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Barber is best known for composing the film scores for '' M ...
was selected to score the film, as she had previously worked on Lonergan's 2000 film '' You Can Count on Me''.[Newman, Nick (November 15, 2016)]
"Lesley Barber Discusses Scoring ‘Manchester by the Sea’ and Kenneth Lonergan’s Precision"
. ''The Film Stage''. Retrieved April 14, 2017. She developed the first musical themes after reading the script.[Schweiger, Daniel (November 17, 2016)]
"Interview with Lesley Barber"
. ''Film Music''. Retrieved April 14, 2017. Once she established the themes, Barber worked with the orchestra to create a sound that emoted the sound of the ocean with "underlying tension" with lightness, for exterior scenes. Early in the scoring process, Barber took inspiration from New England church music from the 1700s, including Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
hymns and other music of the Pilgrims and Colonial era, with its emphasis on a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
vocals.["Composer Lesley Barber Discusses Her Score For 'Manchester By The Sea'"](_blank)
. ''Variety 411''. Retrieved April 14, 2017. Barber developed the music to complement her understanding of the essence of the film's scenes based on emails and conversations with Lonergan.
To score scenes that reflect Lee's "interior landscape," she sent the music to her daughter Jacoba Barber-Rozema, an opera major, then recorded her singing in her dorm room via Skype
Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...
. Barber said the confined space made for a "perfect sound." Orchestration was later added to the track. For the opening flashback of Lee in happier times, Barber recorded her daughter's vocals in a large, spacious auditorium. Instead of giving Lonergan demos
Demos may refer to:
Computing
* DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system
* DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR
* Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems
* plural for Demo (computer programming)
...
, Barber provided him with more-finished pieces earlier in the editing process to allow the director to have a better sense of the music while editing. The film was cut down after the Sundance screening, requiring Barber to rework and simplify some of the music.
Critic Steven Mears says the film's score "gives form" to the feelings of blue-collar Americans. Bobby Finger, writing for '''', called it "an elegant white noise... a hypnotic soundtrack to focused thought."[Finger, Bobby (February 25, 2017)]
"A Chat With Lesley Barber, the Composer of 2016's Best Film Score (and Why it Won't Win an Oscar)"
. The Muse. ''Jezebel''. Retrieved April 14, 2017. Caitlin Warren of ''Spindle Magazine'' said the score adds perfectly "to the raw emotion of the film without ever overwhelming it to the point of feeling contrived or cheesy."[Warren, Caitlin (25 January 2017)]
"Interview with Lesley Barber, Composer of ‘Manchester by the Sea’"
. ''Spindle Magazine''. Retrieved April 14, 2017. Film score critic Jonathan Broxton said the music "dwells in the bitterness of regret" and that it has "a captivating, dream-like quality that is... dramatically appropriate for the film it accompanies."[Broxton, Jonathan (December 6, 2016]
"Manchester by the Sea—Lesley Barber"
. Movie Music UK. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
The use of "Adagio in G minor
Adagio in G minor for strings and organ, also known as Adagio in Sol minore per archi e organo su due spunti tematici e su un basso numerato di Tomaso Albinoni (Mi 26), is a neo-Baroque composition commonly attributed to the 18th-century Veneti ...
" to accompany the revelation of Lee's tragedy received mixed reviews. ''The New Yorker'' said, "Any piece of music that has been used for '' Rollerball'', ''Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...
'', and ''Flashdance
''Flashdance'' is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend ...
'' has, by definition, been squeezed dry." Mark Kermode
Mark James Patrick Kermode (, ; ; born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic, musician, radio presenter, television presenter and podcaster. He is the chief film critic for ''The Observer'', contributes to the magazine ''Sight & Sound'', prese ...
of the BBC said the piece "has been overused so much in popular entertainment that when it turns up, it's distracting." According to Koresky, in the montage, "Lonergan thickly lays on the Handel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
, Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
, and Albinoni
Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (8 June 1671 – 17 January 1751) was an Italian composer of the Baroque era. His output includes operas, concertos, sonatas for one to six instruments, sinfonias, and solo cantatas. While famous in his day as an opera comp ...
, making this sequence almost surreally operatic in its horror." In an interview, Lonergan said he originally used the piece as a stand-in track while editing and decided to keep it in. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
ruled the film's score ineligible for Oscar consideration due to the volume of music from classical composers in the soundtrack. In a statement Barber released to ''Variety'', she said, "While I accept the Academy’s decision, I also support my director's decision to use these pieces and I'm also very proud of the substantial contribution that the original score made to the film as well."
Soundtrack
All music was written by Lesley Barber unless otherwise noted. The orchestra was conducted by James Shearman
James Shearman is an English conductor, orchestrator, and composer. He is perhaps best known for his contributions to film scores including those for '' Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'', '' Aladdin'', ''Thor'', '' Manchester by the Sea' ...
. Jacoba Barber-Rozema, Barber's daughter, provided additional vocals. The album was recorded and mixed by XXX and edited by Mick Gormley. The album was produced by Barber and Stefan Karrer.
Release
''Manchester by the Sea'' had its world premiere on January 23, 2016, at the Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
. Shortly afterward, Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...
acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film for $10million, beating Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics Inc. is an American film production and distribution company that is a division of Sony Pictures. It was founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Marcie Bloom. It distributes, produc ...
, Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
, Lionsgate
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
, and Fox Searchlight
Searchlight Pictures, Inc. is an American film production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is part of the Walt Disney Company. Founded in 1994 as Fox Searchlight Pictures, Inc. for 20th Century Fox (later 20th Century St ...
. This was the second-largest disclosed purchase at the Sundance Film Festival after ''The Birth of a Nation
''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Cla ...
'' at $17.5million. Roadside Attractions
Roadside Attractions is an American production company and film distributor based in Los Angeles, California, founded on July 27, 2000, by Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff, specializing largely in independent films. Lionsgate
Lions Gate ...
, of which Lionsgate owns 45%, later became co-distributor of the film with Amazon.
The film was screened at the Telluride Film Festival
The Telluride Film Festival (TFF) is a film festival held annually in Telluride, Colorado during Labor Day weekend (the first Monday in September). The 49th edition took place on September 2 -6, 2022.
History
First held on 30 August 1974, th ...
and the Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
, both of which took place in September 2016. The 2016 New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival (NYFF) is a film festival held every fall in New York City, presented by Film at Lincoln Center (FLC). Founded in 1963 by Richard Roud and Amos Vogel with the support of Lincoln Center president William Schuman, it is ...
, which ran from September 30 to October 16, included ''Manchester by the Sea'' in its "main slate" and invited Longergan to participate in audience question-and-answer sessions after the October 2 and 11 screenings of the film. It was also shown at the BFI London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and shor ...
on October 8, 2016. The film was theatrically released on November 18, 2016.
Home media
''Manchester by the Sea'' was made available to stream on Amazon and for digital download in the U.S. on February 7, 2017, and on Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
on May 5 of that year. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 21, 2017. In the UK, the film became available for digital download on May 8, 2017, and on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand
On-demand or on demand may refer to:
Manufacturing
* Build-on-demand
* Just-in-time manufacturing, a methodology for production
* Print on demand, printing technology and business process in which new copies of a document are not printed until an ...
on May 15 the same year.
Reception
Box office
''Manchester by the Sea'' grossed $47.7million in the United States and Canada, and $31.3million in other territories, grossing $79million worldwide against a production budget of $9million. The film began a limited theatrical release on November 18, 2016, and grossed $256,498 from four theaters that weekend, making for a per-theater average of $64,125. It began a U.S.-wide release on December 16, 2016, opening against ''Rogue One
''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (or simply ''Rogue One'') is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by Luc ...
'' and ''Collateral Beauty
''Collateral Beauty'' is a 2016 American fantasy drama film directed by David Frankel and written by Allan Loeb. The film stars an ensemble cast of Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Peña, Naomie Harris, Jacob Latimore, Ka ...
'', grossing $4.2million, and finishing sixth in terms of revenue at the box office.
Critical response
''Manchester by the Sea'' received critical acclaim and praise for Lonergan's screenplay and direction, and the performances of Affleck, Hedges, and Williams. After an early screening at the Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
, ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' called it the "must-see film" of 2016.[ As more critic reviews were published, ]Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
assigned the film an approval rating of 96% based on 357 reviews with an average rating of 8.80/10. According to the website's critical consensus, "''Manchester by the Sea'' delivers affecting drama populated by full-bodied characters, marking another strong step forward for writer-director Kenneth Lonergan." On Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 96 out of 100 based on 53 critics—the third highest of the year—indicating "universal acclaim." According to Metacritic data, critics counted the film among the best films of 2016.
Giving the film five stars out of five, Phil de Semlyen of ''Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' called the film "masterfully told and beautifully acted", and favorably compared Affleck's performance to that of Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
in ''On the Waterfront
''On the Waterfront'' is a 1954 American crime drama film, directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando and features Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning, and Eva Marie Saint in her film debut. ...
'', and saying, "there's not much higher praise than that."[De Semlyen, Phil (January 9, 2017)]
"Manchester By The Sea Review"
. ''Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
''. Retrieved April 20, 2017. ''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''s Justin Chang
Justin Choigee Chang (born January 3, 1983) is an American film critic and columnist for the ''Los Angeles Times''. He previously worked for ''Variety''.
Early life
Justin Chang graduated from the University of Southern California in 2004. Chan ...
said the film is a "beautifully textured, richly enveloping drama" and, while he noted that the film "may be too sprawling a vision for all arthouse
An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily ...
tastes," he asserted that "Lonergan's many champions are scarcely the only viewers who will be stirred by this superbly grounded and acted third effort." Critic Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
said the movie "ranks with the year's very best films" and that "it takes a piece out of you." RogerEbert.com's Matt Zoller Seitz
Matt Zoller Seitz (born December 26, 1968) is an American film and television critic, author and film-maker.
Career
Matt Zoller Seitz is editor-at-large at RogerEbert.com, and the television critic for '' New York'' magazine and Vulture.com, as ...
gave the film four stars out of four, stating it is "the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time." Anthony Lane
Anthony Lane is a British journalist who is a film critic for ''The New Yorker'' magazine.
Career Education and early career
Lane attended Sherborne School and graduated with a degree in English from Trinity College, Cambridge, where he also ...
of ''The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' called the film "carefully constructed, compellingly acted, and often hard to watch."[Lane, Anthony (January 30, 2017), "Manchester by the Sea." '']The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
''. 92 (47):9–10
''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''s Leah Greenblatt said "the exquisitely crafted, emotionally ragged ''Manchester'' doesn't just ask for time and effort; it earns it."[Greenblatt, Leah (December 16, 2016), "No. 3 Manchester by the Sea. '']Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''. (1444/1445):51 In a mixed review, Lanre Bakare of ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' gave the film three stars out of five, saying the "impact of this impressive drama is suffocated by the silence and suffering of its central character." The film was included on many end-of-year lists, including those of the American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
, ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
''.
The scene that drew the most critical praise depicts the characters Randi and Lee speaking again years after their divorce; Anthony Lane called it the "highlight" of the movie.
Tom Shone said of Williams' performance, "if this actress were put on earth to do one thing only, it would be this scene."