Fans Call This 9-Year-Old Drama With 96% on RT the Most Heart-Wrenching Movie Ever
Stock up on Kleenex because this masterpiece is sure to tug at your heartstrings.
Typically, movies about redemption tell the story of a person who was able to overcome inner demons and find a path to salvation.
Such stories are therapeutic in many ways, since each of us, in one way or another, has made irreparable mistakes, experienced a crushing sense of guilt and loss of faith.
One such story is Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea, which took home two Oscar statuettes for Best Actor and Best Screenplay.
What Is Manchester by the Sea About?
Lee is an unsociable Boston plumber suffering from apathy and alcoholism. Trying not to succumb to the influence of his addiction, the man silently unleashes energy on those around him: with his fists, he tries to drown out the tragedy that befell him years earlier.
This way of life is interrupted by unpleasant news: Lee's older brother has died of a heart attack, leaving him in the care of his sixteen-year-old son, Patrick, whose mother left the family due to problems with drug addiction.
This forces Chandler to return home – to the place where the meaning of his existence once ended.
Manchester by the Sea Is a Brilliant Drama That You Won't Want to See Twice
Kenneth Lonergan's movie is best compared to a lump in the throat – at some points it becomes impossible to watch and physically difficult, but you can't turn away because the emotions are not achieved by cheap tricks, but by a masterful script and excellent acting.
Reddit user Pigs-OnThe-Wing wrote:
“I saw it in theatre when it first came out and there's still specific scenes that have stuck with me and are as clear as day. [...] A movie I don't think I could watch again, despite its brilliance.”
It is no wonder you may never want to revisit the story of an antisocial plumber forced to return home after the death of his brother, but you can't forget his tragedy either.
Mancherster by the Sea Features Casey Affleck's Best Performance Ever
In Manchester by the Sea, Casey Affleck played the best role of his entire career – and won a well-deserved Oscar for it.
One of the main components of the film is Affleck's performance, who knows how to make the most tragic and distant episodes personal and, it seems, not so hopeless.
After all, when you care about someone as much as you care about yourself, the right choice seems to come naturally, and the feeling of hope for a brighter future is perhaps the most valuable thing you can take away from watching Manchester by the Sea.