‘Manchester by the Sea’ Box Office Success Confirms Kenneth Lonergan’s Comeback

20 November 2016 1:18 PM, PST | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »

“Manchester by the Sea” debuted to rave reviews and a standing ovation last January at the Sundance Film Festival. The beautifully wrought story of a janitor (Casey Affleck) grappling with a family tragedy sparked an all-night bidding war that ended with a $10 million sale to Amazon.

But there are plenty of films that are embraced as modern masterpieces in the mountains of Utah only to collapse at the box office when audiences at lower altitudes get a look. Take “The Birth of a Nation,” which enjoyed a record-setting $17.5 million sale to Fox Searchlight, but flopped after word got out that Nate Parker, its director, writer, and star, had been accused of rape while a college student. It didn’t matter that Parker was ultimately acquitted; after news broke that his accuser had committed suicide, the film was rejected by audiences.

Nor is “The Birth of a Nation” alone. There are »

- Brent Lang

Similar News Items

• Anne Hathaway Sports Super Sexy, Cleavage-Baring Dress on 'Ocean's Eight' Set (From Entertainment Tonight. 2 December 2016, 11:28 AM, PST)
• Manchester By The Sea – Review (From WeAreMovieGeeks.com. 2 December 2016, 5:01 AM, PST)
• The 2017 Critics Choice Awards nominations are in (From The Hollywood News. 1 December 2016, 11:45 PM, PST)

• TVLine Items: SNL Taps John Cena, Supergirl vs. Mr. Mxyzptlk and More (From TVLine.com. 2 December 2016, 2:23 PM, PST)
• John Cena, Casey Affleck, Emma Stone to Host ‘SNL’ This Month (From Variety - TV News. 2 December 2016, 1:41 PM, PST)
• Casey Affleck & John Cena To Host ‘SNL’ Shows This Month (From Deadline TV. 2 December 2016, 1:25 PM, PST)

• Sundance ’17: Hittman, Robespierre & Larnell Come Knocking Again in U.S. Dramatic Comp (From ioncinema. 30 November 2016, 2:05 PM, PST)
• Interview: Director Julie Dash of ‘Daughters of the Dust’ (From HollywoodChicago.com. 29 November 2016, 12:55 PM, PST)
• Free Scripts! Download 2017 Oscar Contenders ‘Jackie,’ ‘Loving’ and More (Running List) (From Indiewire. 28 November 2016, 12:05 PM, PST)

IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.