Kenny Lonergan

[mc1227]

Posted: 2/12/17 at 10:00pm

Congratulations to Kenny Lonergan for his screenplay win at the British Academy Awards! Hopefully, an Oscar to follow.

Updated On: 2/13/17 at 10:00 PM

[FrankieSay]

Posted: 2/12/17 at 11:22pm

Kenneth Lonergan's screenplay is the first of that movie's many problems, which is just my opinion, I know.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 12:46am

I loved loved loved "You Can Count on Me"  but I am baffled by the love for "Manchester By the Sea". To each their own but I don't get it.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 12:49am

The screenplay of the film is so full of humanity, of character, of humor and of suffering - i think it's damn near perfect.  

Manchester By The Sea was exceptional 

[bk]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 1:46am

Ken Lonergan?  Kenny Lonergan?  Really?  I hated every second of this film - nothing rang true, I cannot stand mumbling actors, and it just went on and on.  I'm glad some found humanity, character, humor, and suffering - I only found suffering - my own.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 2:26am

I also don't get the love for this movie. I thought it was way too long and there wasn't even much of a story in the film. One of the Oscar noms I certainly don't get was Michelle Williams; I like her but the character didn't have much to do in the few scenes she was present.

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 2:44am

Y'all are ****in' crazy. This movie is a masterpiece, and one of the best written films of all time.

[A Canadian in NYC]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 5:27am

Actually walked out after 20 minutes - was way too depressing for me as we had recently had a death in our family. 

I'm sure it is worthy of its nominations but I'm routing for La La Land to win the Oscar.  

[mc1227]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 6:52am

I too am rooting for an Oscar for LaLa Land for best picture and it's director but I love to see great writers rewarded and I believe Manchester was the best original story this year. Lonergan' writing is not uplifting or whimsical but it's humanity is undeniable. Dealing with death and grief is something most people can relate to in some way, certainly more than aspiring actors and musicians in Hollywood.  

[FrankieSay]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 12:56pm

"Great" writing? 

It's just my opinion, I know, but when I wanted to see great screenwriting this year I needed to look no further than "Moonlight."  

Kenneth Lonergan's denoument was amateurishness to the nth degree.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 1:07pm

Manchester is far too bleak and depressing for anyone to truly enjoy.  I also have a problem with the length of the movie and I found Casey Affleck's performance to be far from brilliant.  Is it a good movie? Yes.  Is it great? No.  It all feels very clinical and lacking in any real emotion.  Also the story just kind of fizzles out, in my opinion.  It's pretty pretentious, TBH.

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 1:14pm

FrankieSay said: ""Great" writing? 

It's just my opinion, I know, but when I wanted to see great screenwriting this year I needed to look no further than "Moonlight."  

Kenneth Lonergan's denoument was amateurishness to the nth degree.

 

"

Did you really just cite Moonlight as a brilliant movie while complaining about the denouement of Manchester? One of those movies had a serious problem with an ending, and it definitely wasn't the one by Lonergan.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 1:28pm

I don't like MANCHESTER for various reasons - but the screenplay is not one of them. It's brilliantly crafted.

[cknick]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 1:39pm

Wow, I'm surprised at some of the reactions to MANCHESTER.  I thought it was a gorgeous film with beautiful, restrained emotion from everyone.  

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 1:42pm

I was disappointed in Manchester, mainly because Lonergan's play LOBBY HERO is one of my favorites. This film said nothing to me except for "here's a guy who had a rough life." (I think the same about Moonlight).

 Casey Affeck's performance was right for the material, but I don't think it was much of a stretch for him.

[FrankieSay]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 4:26pm

"Did you really just cite Moonlight as a brilliant movie while complaining about the denouement of Manchester? One of those movies had a serious problem with an ending, and it definitely wasn't the one by Lonergan."

It is just my opinion, I know, but [minor spoiler]:

If one character giving another character a bullet-point list of what's going to happen to him, with no input at all from that character whose life is about to be changed, is your idea of well-written ending, then I see how our opinions could diverge over movie quality.

[bk]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 6:21pm

Dear Baker Williams:

If you think Manchester By the Sea is one of the best-written films of all time, then there is no hope for either you or this world.  How old are you?  Have you ever seen a classic film before, you know, perhaps one written by Billy Wilder and any of his genius collaborators?  Perhaps one written by Joseph Mankiewicz?  Perhaps, I don't know, Chinatown, by Robert Towne?  Perhaps North by Northwest by Ernest Lehman?  Perhaps Citizen Kane by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles?  Perhaps, well, I could list perhaps 1,000 films right off the top of my head that would be better written than Manchester By the Sea.  It's fine that you LOVED it, and it's also fine you think it's the best written film of all time - but to make that pronouncement in public, well, please.

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 6:41pm

bk said: "Dear Baker Williams:

If you think Manchester By the Sea is one of the best-written films of all time, then there is no hope for either you or this world.  How old are you?  Have you ever seen a classic film before, you know, perhaps one written by Billy Wilder and any of his genius collaborators?  Perhaps one written by Joseph Mankiewicz?  Perhaps, I don't know, Chinatown, by Robert Towne?  Perhaps North by Northwest by Ernest Lehman?  Perhaps Citizen Kane by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles?  Perhaps, well, I could list perhaps 1,000 films right off the top of my head that would be better written than Manchester By the Sea.  It's fine that you LOVED it, and it's also fine you think it's the best written film of all time - but to make that pronouncement in public, well, please.

 

"

Well aren't you just so obnoxious.

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 6:51pm

Also, I'm confused by the fact that those characters didn't "ring true" while the deliberate caricatures in the movies of Billy Wilder apparently do?

For the record, I really don't care for most modern movies, with my preference being those old Hollywood films that you just tried to shame me for not having seen. With the exception of a few films (mostly Howard Hawks films), there's not many films that carry the depth and complexity of Manchester. Even better than Manchester is Margaret, though.

Updated On: 2/13/17 at 06:51 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 10:22pm

bk said "Dear Baker Williams:

If you think Manchester By the Sea is one of the best-written films of all time, then there is no hope for either you or this world.  How old are you?  Have you ever seen a classic film before, you know, perhaps one written by Billy Wilder and any of his genius collaborators....blah blah blah"

You are totally out of line in throwing insults and character judgment at Baker Williams because his opinion is different from yours.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/13/17 at 10:22pm

Updated On: 2/13/17 at 10:22 PM