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Manchester by the Sea

year 2016decade 10sdirector Kenneth Lonergangenre Drama

137 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Casey Affleck Lee Chandler
Michelle Williams Randi Chandler
Lucas Hedges Patrick Chandler
Kyle Chandler Joe Chandler
C. J. Wilson George
Tate Donovan Hockey Coach
Josh Hamilton Wes (Joe’s Lawyer)
Gretchen Mol Elise

Manchester by the Sea | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Sean Fennesseyproducer Craig Horlbeck theme Rock Bottom Month
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Roger Ebert's review

Rating not yet verified

The panel is imagining how this might look in the future.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:20Read transcript
  • A four-star response is predicted because the story, characters and performances fit what the late critic valued.

Casting What-Ifs

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:22Read transcript
  • After Damon could not play the lead, the role was steered to Affleck; using Damon as the brother is proposed as an improvement.
  • Chalamet reportedly auditioned for Patrick and did not get the role.
  • Hedges is preferred to Chalamet for frame, class background and Massachusetts credibility, despite both actors’ New York backgrounds.
  • Krasinski is reported as connected to the original idea and initially floated for the role before Lonergan completed the film.
  • Krasinski remains an uncertain dramatic fit because this kind of acting had not been seen from him, though A Quiet Place is offered as reason not to rule him out; Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone work supplies a contrasting precedent.

Recasting Couch

Damon or Ben Affleck in supporting roles; J. Smith-Cameron in several smaller roles.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:41Read transcript
  • Damon is proposed for the older brother or the Broderick part, and Ben Affleck for the older brother; celebrity distraction is the main objection.
  • Ben Affleck is also jokingly imagined as the stranger confronted at the bar.
  • The director’s wife is proposed for the angry local woman, the friend’s wife or Sandy’s mother.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Lonergan crying on set; Hedges’s silent-day preparation; an unscripted ambulance-gurney problem.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:13Read transcript
  • Williams reportedly said the director cried during heavier scenes.
  • Hedges reportedly avoided speaking all day to build energy before the freezer breakdown.
  • The ambulance crew’s trouble loading the gurney was reportedly unscripted and retained.

Picking Nits

Package-store hours; missing hockey; guardianship notice; frozen burial plot; town economics; omitted family history; Patrick’s empathy and secret girlfriends.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:13Read transcript
  • A Massachusetts package store being open around three in the morning is rejected; small stores and gas stations would close by eleven.
  • More hockey and a Bruins game are desired, partly to show Joe and Lee connecting beyond the boat.
  • Not telling Lee ahead of time that he would be the guardian is questioned, then defended because he would have said no.
  • Choosing a burial plot frozen for months is questioned, then treated as a writerly thaw metaphor.
  • The town is considered more upscale than depicted, and an additional flashback showing the mother drunk is desired.
  • Patrick’s failure to give Lee a break remains an objection even after the teenage-self-absorption defense.
  • The two girlfriends would probably discover each other quickly through school and early Instagram; one may tolerate it more than the other.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Stentorian’s album; condom guidance; Broderick’s supporting roles; the Celtics–Mavs game.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:23Read transcript
  • Whether Stentorian released an album is asked and answered no, with parties considered plausible.
  • Patrick’s condom difficulty prompts a question about absent parental guidance and whether fathers discuss application.
  • Broderick’s long run of strange, sniveling side characters is questioned and tentatively explained by stage work and freedom to choose small parts.
  • The Celtics–Mavs game is identified as November 18, 2015, with a 106–102 score and several player totals reported.