2016 was rough. If you are looking for a movie to cheer you up, look elsewhere. "Manchester by the Sea" is about death and second chances. Not everything is ironed out perfectly in the end because life doesn't work that way. Life is sticky, messy, and complicated. This film is a perfect example of those intricacies. It pushes you, frustrates, and leaves you in the midst of imperfect people. As mistakes and sins are revealed, you as the audience member, are called upon to judge people by honest mistakes. While the mistakes people make in our everyday lives are rarely this severe, it does make us question our ability to forgive. If that was the goal of this movie, then it achieved the aim with much-needed originality.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan