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The way these characters were written was much more like "real people" than most Hollywood scripts write their characters. Usually, things are either black or white.......the characters are either "good guys" and likable.....or "bad guys", and not likable. However....the characters in MBTS were in that grey area that is more like real life. Sure, in a perfect world, or a fairytale, the characters do all the right things, all the time. In real life, not so much. And who cares if you don't "like" them? This is simply a tragic human tale....and whether or not you like them has nothing to do with it. No offense...but it's rather simpleton thinking--that you can't like or be moved and touched by a story unless you like the characters.
For me....I found many of the characters likable. Lee was likable, and sympathetic. He was going through something unbearable. But he worked through it as best he could. Through taking care of Patrick, he found a small reason to continue living. He never had all the answers--but he didn't give up on trying to do the right thing. One of my favorite scenes in the movie: When Patrick's emotions finally came spilling to the surface and he had his breakdown. Lee comes in his room and says: "I'm not going to bother you....I'm just going to sit here until I know you're ok." And he sat there by Patrick's bed all night.
Patrick, too, was likable. He was just a troubled kid...going through something unbearable. Don't mistake the coping mechanism of compartmentalizing his emotions...with being unlikable. His mother was a drunk who abandonded him. And his Dad...the only stability in his life, died. Patrick was a good kid. If you couldn't see that....if all you saw was him acting out, you're kinda naive about the human condition.
There were several other likable characters as well. The family friend of Lee and his brother was an angel of support, and was a good and loyal friend. Lee's ex-wife was also a good person who was simply heartbroken. The scene where she bears her soul to Lee, telling him she forgives him and feels awful that he blames himself....that was one of the most real and honest, touching and heartbreaking exchanges I've ever seen between two actors.
If you walked out not getting any of this, I'm guessing you're just young, and haven't had much true loss close to home, yet. You will. This movie hits home for adults who have felt that kind of pain. Not everything is 100% good and likable....or 100% bad and despisable. Sometimes, things just are how they are. Such is life, warts and all.
Spoilers ahead:
He was the sole reason for the deaths of his kids and he should've went to prison for getting wasted and not keeping his kids safe. Rule #1 in parenting is like; basically make sure your kids don't die. What he did was very neglectful.
He doesn't even attempt to fix his life after causing 3 deaths, many many years later and he was still getting into bar fights, being rude to everyone and passing out drunk and almost causing fires.
"she forgives him and feels awful that he blames himself"
He was a crappy person before the deaths and after the deaths.
And he should blame himself, he was on cocaine and drunk while partying at 2 in the morning and his behavior killed his children.
You're judging this person, as if you're SUPPOSED to like him as a person. For me...I DID like him. He was a good man dealing with something unbearably awful. If you are perfect and never did something ill-advised in your life....step forward now, as you continue to judge this man.
He left the fire going because he wife's sinuses got irritated by the furnace. This doesn't seem very outlandish to me. Did you ever in your life get behind the wheel after maybe having ONE too many? Yes, you have. Should I JUDGE you? Nope. I have made bad decisions too. But you and I haven't had to feel the gut-WRENCHING consequences of a bad decision that did indeed play out badly. If you feel nothing but scorn for this man...and deem him "unlikable" because of the events that played out. Well, I just can't relate to someone like you at all.
Affleck's character (lee) was an everyman....who made an everyman mistake...and it cost him everything. And this is BEFORE he loses his brother and gets his heart ripped out a second time. He never ASKED for anyone to forgive him (though we SHOULD). He just went about his life, a shell of a man...sleep-walking through his life, heartbroken and alone. He never SAID he was not at fault. Even his ex-wife forgave him and realized he should not be haunted with guilt for the rest of his days--but he was.
Lee found a way to do something meaningful when he took care of Patrick. Who ever said at any point it was necessary that you LIKE him??? Do you need to LIKE every character in a story in order to be touched emotionally by the tale? How did you do in Platoon? How about Unforgiven? How about Seven?
Manchester by the Sea was simply a parable....a story about the human condition....the reality of life, death and tragedy....and, finding some grace in the midst of unbearable pain and heartache. That's it. That's....it. No car chases. No good guys or bad guys. Nothing spelled out for you and nothing spoon-fed to you.
Who ever said it was necessary that you LIKE the characters???
took care of Patrick??? He almost killed him by causing anotherrr fire and he let Patrick have relations in his house and drove him around to cheat on his gf.
He didn't deserve to be around humans imo.