Manchester by the Sea

Manchester by the Sea is a deeper, and more honest observational study than its spiritual prequel, Good Will Hunting.  Both films center around a man who has concluded that he has potential, he has the capability to achieve a good life, but knows that he doesn't deserve it.  Casey Affleck gives a depressingly tragic performance, portraying a man who feels obligated to punish himself.  His friends and family plead with him to stop, attempting to relay how his behavior is harming those closest to him.  Yet his conviction is so deep, and his commitment to complete, that rational arguments hold no sway.  Will Hunting had a gift that was recognized by the right people at the right time.  Will is encouraged and challenged in ways that turn him from his path of self-destruction.  Affleck's character in Manchester by the Sea isn't rescued from his downward spiral.  I would suggest that the difference here, is that his heart has been hardened.  There is a moment in Good Will Hunting, between the title character and his counselor (played by Robin Williams) where Will Hunting's heart is softened.  Manchester by the Sea doesn't contain such a scene, and with that the chance of hope and joy vanishes.