Dealing with Seasickness

Utilizing the same name as the quaint village in which it is set, Manchester by the Sea depicts the lives of a family struggling with the recent death of a father and brother.

The story follows Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), a man wallowing in a morass of pain, sorrow and apathy. The quiet, introverted gent works as a handyman in Quincy, Massachusetts, though soon gets a call that his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) is in the hospital. Rushing to Manchester, with its clapboard houses and brisk, windy, wintery weather, he is too late.

Having the unenviable task of tracking down his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges) to tell him the dispiriting news (he finds him at hockey practice), he soon discovers that his brother has left him in charge of raising the sixteen year old. While in the picturesque locale, people point, stare, whisper and snarl at the former resident (a mystery that will, in its own fine time, be revealed).

With an anguished past that has made him the shell of the man he now is, Lee is placed in a more than difficult situation, quite unsure as to whether he is up to the involved task that would force him to pack up and leave his job and home to raise the youth.

Flashing back and forth between past and present, we learn of his relationship with his then wife Randi (Michelle Williams) and their children. We are also provided with a more complete look at Joe’s health condition, as well as the struggles his wife Elise (Gretchen Mol) had with drugs and alcohol – which is why she is not in the picture.

Taking some time off work to settle his brother’s affairs, Lee has a difficult time coping with his nephew. He is argumentative, reclusive, and ungrateful in regards to his uncle, a perfect example of an angst-filled teen dealing with the passing of his father. Lee, struggling with his own demons that lash out at him from his past, is unsure of how to deal with Patrick, who has a wide array of extracurricular activities (school, hockey, band and two girlfriends).

Soon, Patrick’s mother is reaching out to him. Though wary, Lee allows him to go to dinner with the long since absent mother and her new beau, the religious Jeffrey (Matthew Broderick). It is just another thing for the burdened Lee to worry about. The entire situation is a gargantuan conundrum for a man who can barely deal with his own issues. Will he be able to find a way to settle the complicated situation that he is in, or will things degrade into a horrific mess?

Though many viewers and critics have highlighted the dramatic heartbreak found in this motion picture, it is actually surprising that it holds as much humour as it does. There is a bizarre sense of comedy that can come out of death (termed Gallows humour) – perhaps it is the Irish ancestry that brings this out, which when mixed with the terse, abrupt and sarcastic ways of the New Englanders, finds its rightful place in this dramatic tale of sorrow and survival. At one point, Lee, still punishing himself for his past as well as his present situation, puts his fist through a window. Badly cutting it, Patrick asks him what happened. Blandly uttering “I cut it”, the surly teen exclaims, “Oh . . . for a minute there, I didn’t know what happened”. A different example of humour that revolves around death and sickness is the struggle of paramedics as they attempt to get their patient, who lies upon a gurney, into the ambulance. It is a thankful chuckle after a more than dark moment.

Fishing plays an integral part in this waterfront locale. Joe’s boat, with its soon to be crippled motor, is a perfect metaphor for the fracture running through the disheartened family. Despite the complexities revolving around it (the cost of fixing the boat and the ongoing upkeep, the tender age of its new owner . . .), it is on the open water that the two struggling individuals seem to be the most free – able to leave their woes float away in the enlivening breeze as they perform tactile tasks like fishing and driving the boat.

Featuring a bevy of superlative performances, Manchester by the Sea will surely be Oscar bait this awards season. Casey Affleck is a standout; a realistic portrayal of a man teetering on the edge – trying to find some solace while bringing a bit of normalcy into the life of his nephew. The relationship between Affleck and Hedges is utterly realistic, as is that of the formerly married couple brought forth by our lead and Williams. Definitely a vehicle for its stars, Manchester by the Sea is a powerful motion picture that, at its heart, is about forgiving others, and more importantly, yourself. So, make sure to view this scorching drama this Oscar season, it will seep into your soul, bringing with it varied waves of emotion.