Look, there have been a lot of grand slams at Sundance over the years. This year’s was Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester By the Sea.
Starring Casey Affleck, Kyle Chandler, and Lucas Hedges, the drama swept up dozens of critics up in Park City, Utah this year with Oscar on their minds — this writer included. In my glowing Top Rated review, I wrote: “This is pitch-perfect filmmaking, the kind that turns a hungry visionary into a popular last name. Rest assured, it’s all earned. Manchester by the Sea is a hearty, rewarding drama audiences will remember for years.”
Here’s the official synopsis:
“Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is a brooding, irritable loner who works as a handyman for a Boston apartment block. One damp winter day he gets a call summoning him to his hometown, north of the city. His brother’s heart has given out suddenly, and he’s been named guardian to his 16-year-old nephew. As if losing his only sibling and doubts about raising a teenager weren’t enough, his return to the past re-opens an unspeakable tragedy.”
The film is scheduled for a limited release on November 18th before expanding in mid-December. Watch the newly revealed trailer above.