Manchester by the Sea stuns viewers

Manchester by the Sea was one of the best movies of 2016, and contained some of the best performances of the year as well.

Affleck stars as Lee Chandler, a lonely janitor in Quincy, Massachusetts. After his brother unexpectedly dies, he must return to his hometown of Manchester, New Hampshire to be the guardian of his sixteen year old nephew.

In September of 2014, it was announced that Matt Damon would return to work with writer and director Kenneth Lonergan for Manchester by the Sea. The duo previously worked together on the film Margaret, which had post-production complications, but still received positive reviews.

Originally, the film was to be directed by Damon, with Lonergan set to be the writer, but due to scheduling complications, Damon could not direct, so he decided to be involved as a producer and to star as the lead actor.

Then, during pre-production, it was revealed that Casey Affleck would replace Damon as the lead actor., and that Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine) would also star as Affleck’s ex-wife, with Lucas Hedges (Moonrise Kingdom) playing Affleck’s nephew.

For a relatively smaller film with a budget of $8.5 million, the film did well grossing $35.2 million. Along with that, the film was released to universal acclaim, praising Lonergan’s writing and directing, as well as praising Affleck, Williams, and Hedges performances.

As a result of these praises, it was nominated for five Golden Globes, and won Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, for Casey Affleck's performance as Lee Chandler.

During Affleck’s acceptance speech, he proclaimed him upmost appreciation toward working with Lonergan, Williams, and Hedges. He also poked fun at the fact that he “stole” Damon’s role, and lastly, stated, “God is love.”

The movie is very well done, but it is not for all people. Those who enjoy popcorn action movies would find this “boring”, but those who enjoy good acting and a deep, emotional story, will love this movie.

I loved this movie, especially Affleck’s performance. It was emotional, but not too soppy of a story. You were invested in his character, and cared about him, and hoped for him to overcome his feelings.

It is safe to say, that Manchester by the Sea will be nominated many more times during awards season.