Manchester by the Sea ending explained: Manchester by the Sea ending explained: Lee won't die now, you can tell

Casey Affleck got his one and only Oscar for his performance in Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea (2016), which tells a story of a person for whom the term 'depression' won't do justice. If you don't know, the film's title is eponymous to a place in Massachusetts' Essex County.

Affleck plays a loner, Lee Chandler, in the film, and it seems like he is just this close to taking his own life, which he has already tried by stealing a cop's gun. Another reference is a scene where he runs into his wife, who is living separately now, and she asks him not to "die."

Thankfully, nothing happens, and life goes on. But all of this is happening with him, as he has done something terrible, though not intentionally, which we will discuss in a couple of minutes. However, as Manchester by the Sea comes to its conclusion, you can easily tell that Lee now has purpose and hope for life, and he isn't going to kill himself wherever he goes.

Lee comes back to life by the end of Manchester by the Sea

It's not like Lee died and came back to life; this isn't a fantasy movie. Lee was alive all the time, though physically. However, he was dead from the inside after a certain event that turned his world upside down.

Now his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), has died, and he has named Lee as the legal guardian of his son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). That surprises him, as his past shouldn't be allowing Joe to do this. Anyway, nothing can be done, and now Lee has to take the responsibility for his 16-year-old nephew.

There also comes a time in Manchester by the Sea when Patrick thinks that his uncle wants to get rid of him. That happens when Patrick tries to reconnect with his estranged mom, who left the family for alcohol, and fails. However, Lee makes some positive comments about her, and that leads Patrick to think like that.

However, things eventually work out as Lee decides to stay in the town, as he has plans for moving to Boston, until Patrick's school year ends. This was a good decision because Patrick develops a bond with him, which is the point of the movie.

What did Lee do that he is suffering so much inside?

Manchester by the Sea won a couple of Oscars at the Academy Awards. (Image via StudiocanalUK)

There was a party, back in the day when Lee was living with his wife. He had three children, and everything was going fine. But alcohol is a bad thing, and while intoxicated, Lee forgot to place a screen on the fireplace. That burnt the entire house down, and the children with it.

There's also a chilling scene in Manchester by the Sea where Casey Affleck's character is just lying on a sofa, and one of his children appears near him in a dream. One of them asks,

"Daddy, can't you see we are burning?"

This one will just strike right through your soul.

Patrick eventually came to know about this, which actually adds more respect for his uncle. And in the end, we see that things are coming along again.