Ben Affleck has been struggling with the demons of alcoholism for some time and has been quite public about it…
Now he brings those deeply personal aspects of his life to the big screen in a story that in some ways seems to mirror his struggles.
In the new sports drama “THE WAY BACK” – originally titled “THE HAS-BEEN” – Affleck plays Jack Cunningham, a working-stiff construction dude with a major drinking addiction and family problems.
He’s pretty much always inebriated, and being carried home from after-work watering holes by buddies is a nightly occurrence.
There IS hope however!
The local Catholic high school, in which he was the all-star player years ago—and not forgotten—reaches out to Jack to fill its available position of basketball coach.
Sure his glory days are enshrined at the school today, but can he deal with the rag-tag Tigers’ team awaiting him? No discipline. Practically no wins. They’re a mess.
And what of Jack’s own sobriety issues? Can he handle them?
It will take more than a winning fever to turn Bishop Hayes High School’s team around—not to mention his personal demons.
Haven’t we seen this type of sports drama before?
Of course we have.
Think “HOOSIERS,” just to name one—and a good one at that!
Add about every imaginable sports cliche and you’ve got the best underdog, turnaround, redemption story one can think of here.
Without giving too much away, there’s an eventual fork in the road before the film’s 108 minute running time ends.
About the R-rating?
Strong language! Or as the ratings board puts it:
“Rated R for language throughout including sexual references.”
One final note:
Don’t confuse THIS version of “THE WAY BACK” with director Peter Weir’s similar-titled 2010 movie which starred Ed Harris and Colin Farrell. We’re talking two completely different stories here!
“THE WAY BACK” grades a: B
Looks Good!!!
And don’t confuse it with 2013’s “THE WAY WAY BACK” starring Steve Carrell and Allison Janney, which I thought was a delightful little film.
I thought they already made a movie about an alcoholic and a high school basketball team about 30 years ago cough cough Hoosiers cough cough. Oh well, I guess in now days parlance its good they didn’t re make Hoosiers with a bunch of spunky rural Indiana black guys beating up on an all white inner city Indianpolis team.
In a continuing effort to keep our references less than 30 years old you may want to replace HOOSIERS with The Winning Season, which starred Sam Rockwell as a down on his luck coach forced to coach a ragtag group of basketball players.