Manchester by the Sea: Mental Illness in Pop Culture

Mental Illness in Pop Culture

In this episode of Mental Illness in Pop Culture, we explore abandonment, complex grief, depression, pain, New England masculine identity, forgiveness, dysfunctional coping strategies, anhedonia, family trauma, binge drinking, lack of professional helping, and acceptance of personal limitations in the Academy-Award-winning film Manchester by the Sea. We consider the film perhaps one of the saddest movies ever made and a realistic portrayal of the human condition. In the podcast, we acknowledge main character Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) “doing the best he can” despite many flaws and shortcomings in the aftermath of tragedy. We also applaud the film’s refusal to “tie everything up in a neat bow” with a Hollywood ending. Still, we reflect on Lee’s subtle development and transformation through his relationship with nephew Patty (Lucas Hedges), hinting at the potential for eventual hope. In this podcast series, we focus on pop culture portrayals of mental health issues and professional helping, believing that media both reflect and influence popular perception. This particular episode is dedicated to all the close people in our lives we’ve lost, most recently Anne Bloede and Dr. Jim Tolan.