Manchester by the Sea is a relentless white-knuckle drama. There are too many horrors for these ordinary, decent people who try so hard to live ordinary, decent lives. 
Manchester by the Sea (2016, rated R, 137 minutes) was nearly over before I realized, with such sadness, that the enduring story is about Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) and not about his relationship with his ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams), and not about his ill-starred guardianship of his 14-year-old nephew.
Lee carries, every moment, an unbearable sackful of stones: he was innocently, if negligently, responsible for the horrific deaths of his three young children. The loss has withered his soul, and it crowds out his living. He valiantly attempts to overcome his own burden in order to lovingly take responsibility for his father-less nephew, but, finally, Lee tells the boy “I can’t beat it.”
Request the BLU-RAY of Manchester by the Sea through the Minuteman Library Network
Listen to the Manchester by the Sea original soundtrack album through Hoopla
Request the DVD of Manchester by the Sea through the Minuteman Library Network
