I don’t know why, but I am invested in anything that Ben Affleck does. Directs a movie? I’ll see it. Plays Batman? I’m in. There is something about the persona of Ben Affleck that keeps me signing up for every project that he grabs and “The Way Back” is no different.
"The Way Back" (2020) Trailer
Before I delve into the movie that has been out in the world for six months, I want to preface that this review is written after my second viewing. I saw this movie right when it went to VOD back in March 2020 and walked away un-satisfied and it was because I was walking in, expecting another feel good, sports movie like we have seen from Disney many times before (Remember the Titans, The Rookie, etc.) And that’s not what it is at all. Instead, it is a raw portrayal of the power addiction can take on your life and the constant struggle it takes to pull yourself back up.
"The Way Back" is now streaming on HBO Max and six months later, I'm ready to give me take.
In a role that has already started generating Oscar Buzz for the veteran Actor, “The Way Back” tells the story of Jack Cunningham, a newly separated man who spends his nights at the local bar or drowning away his sorrows at the bottom of a beer can to prevent moving on with his life. When he is approached by his old high school to take the newly opened position of basketball coach for team, Jack begrudgingly accepts the role, hoping to just temporarily fill the position for the remainder of the year and get out.
While the first glimpses at the movie portray the camaraderie between coach and teammates, its not the main focus. Instead, the relationship between the team is put in the back seat to really open the door to view the root of addiction in Jack’s life. As the team starts to improve under his coaching, we see Jack spiral deeper and deeper, unable to pull himself out. Drawing on many personal matters, “The Way Back” shows the sports movie from the coaches’ perspective and role of the team members is very much side-lined as the deep-rooted personal drama in Jack’s life is front and center and we discover the reason why Jack is the way that he is.
What makes the movie engaging is the level of emotion that Affleck brings to the role, because he is drawing from his own personal struggles. When he breaks down in front of the therapist in one of the final scenes, you feel the hurt and sadness just as deeply as he is feeling it.
It’s not hard to speculate that “The Way Back” was a personal, passion project for Affleck, who has spent many years in the public spotlight, struggling with addiction. Although the film was slated for a theatrical release in March 2020, right as theaters shut down, Affleck still was able to do press for the film and sited many times that he described the role as therapeutic, he was able to confront the public’s persona of him.
While I mentioned that Ben Affleck’s performance has sparked Oscar Buzz, I should note, it is sparking chatter because there simply just aren’t many movies that have been released this year. Still, Affleck is an Academy favorite and they love personal films and raw emotion. Affleck could still make it into the conversation.
And because I will most always support Ben Affleck and his endeavors, it’s worth the watch.
Review: 7.5 / 10
And that’s the sitch.
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