ST. LOUIS — Every actor has a toolbox where he or she can pull from in order to give a better performance. Certain movies require a few extra tools while others offer the performer a hands-free environment to evolve and transform. In Gavin O'Connor's new film, "The Way Back," Ben Affleck leans on his entire tool box and past to give the performance of his career as Jack Cunningham.
Here's the guy who was a high school basketball phenom, destined for greatness and helping his team win multiple titles. But somewhere along the line, Jack got lost in the abyss of addiction and grief, and now works a construction job that allows him to wear a mask and sneak vodka into his thermal cup. It's only when the priest at Jack's alma mater, Bishop Hayes Catholic School, offers him a job as the head coach of the school's beaten-down basketball team, does hope begin to make its way back into his future.
From the outside, this movie looks exactly like the sports redemption song that moviegoers know well and love. Personally, these tales go down like a bowl of pasta from The Hill for me. Since the connective tissue of sports runs hand in hand with the hard knocks of life, the movies are a successful terrain for powerful stories to be told that resonate with just about anyone. But what makes "The Way Back" special is the relentless honesty that O'Connor and screenwriter Brad Ingelsby inject into the script, which allows Jack no easy way out or quick routes to salvation.
The team contains your usual ragtag group of personalities: the ladies man, the joker, the football player who can play physical, and the by-the-books assistant coach (a light and fun Al Madrigal) who is the polar opposite of Jack. The point guard and top talent of the team doesn't have confidence to take the shot. Chubbs, the comedian of the group, leads the team in a pregame dance, even though that team will get beat by 40 points. And then Jack, fresh off a pack of beer and pint of whiskey, tries to wrestle them into shape ... right after he pulls himself together.
Here's the thing. Affleck has never given a performance like this, and his dedication to the lead role takes a modest and rather somber film to another level. You don't have to love, hate, or feel sorry for Jack; Affleck just needs you to worry about what is going to happen to him. Along the way, we meet his ex-wife (Janina Gavankar, giving a lot to a small role), with whom Jack still carries a warehouse full of guilt and regret for. O'Connor and Ingelsby don't have to spell it out for you at first. You know something happened to these two, which made the Earth under their relationship crack in half.
The trailers will make you believe this is a simple tale of booze, basketball, and a comeback-but "The Way Back" carries a lot more skin in this game. There are bigger things on the film's mind, much moodier things. It's more about the epic and unlimited toll of tragedy, and how grief and addiction work together to cover a previously noble soul in mud and tears.
At one point in the film, we see Jack go through a 24-pack of beer as he rehearses a phone call to the Priest where he will turn the job offer down. What starts out as energetic and sincere turns into a muddled jumble of slurred words and grunts over the course of two dozen cans. This is where Affleck is dipping into that tool box, because one can easily understand he did this unscripted many times in his own life.
It's that off-screen trauma that layers Affleck's performance as well as offering the viewer a glimpse into his downfall. He shares more in common with Jack than he'd like to admit, but instead of packing it away, Affleck unloads it with this performance. It's the kind of role that should pull in new fans and reinforce the truth to the ones that are still on the bubble. Affleck has always been a reliable movie star, but that's not where you'll find his true talent.
It's located in roles like these, which forces the actor to confront all of his own demons to conjure up Jack's frailty. He fell off the wagon right before filming began, and finished it while going through the 12 steps. We are literally watching Affleck pull himself together ... in front of millions of people. If that's not art imitating life, I don't know what is.
I loved the little nuances in O'Connor's film. He's never fired a bad shot as a director, with "Warrior," "Pride and Glory," "Miracle," and "The Accountant" all carrying unique flavor. He knows how to locate the minimal yet potent extract in a familiar story. The little details of this film sing. The trusted friend at the bar named Doc, who would get Jack home safe after he drank all the booze fit for three men. The understated camera work and potent editing work. The meditative score that resisted the urge to be rousing and overwhelming.
The fact that basketball was a supporting player here and not the whole story was a big plus. There are simply too many of those "sports saved him" tales out there. Here, as in life, nothing hits a person harder than life and all its messy contraptions. Jack can bring this team of misfit toys to life on the court, but when he leaves the gym, his own life isn't suddenly put back together. That's where the script and direction thankfully go in a different direction. Like the beer he puts into his body in order to feel better, sports are merely another form of medicine for Jack, albeit a healthier route. They don't promise a happy ending. Alcoholics and real life addicts will appreciate that truth about this film.
It's easy to admire and enjoy films about imperfect people trying to put their lives back together, especially drunks. It's candy cinema. You can watch Jack stumble into the gym half-drunk, scream at the kids Bobby Knight style, and get a resounding kick out of that because it's not your life. It's pure theater. But "The Way Back" doesn't take shortcuts to its destination and contains a few surprises and dramatic detours, which make its climax so powerful.
If you think it ends with the Bishop Hayes team making the final shot and a slow-motion shot of Jack leaving the court with a smile on his face, think again. O'Connor's film, and Affleck, want to hit you harder than that. You might some of it coming, but it'll still knock you down. You will cry.
I went into this film with high expectations, which only makes the movie's job harder. It has to climb up my wall of intrigue with the hopes of coming down the other side. I've went into other films and been disappointed due to the fact the film didn't meet the needs set out for it. "The Way Back" was everything I wanted and then some, giving me the invigorating grace of a sports comeback tale as well as a cathartic performance from one of cinema's most under-appreciated actors.
Ben Affleck, like Jack Cunningham, may have problems conquering alcoholism. But he's taking the hits and trying to move forward. He's not afraid to dip into that toolbox. Sometimes in life, that's all you can do.
If you know what's good for you, "The Way Back" will be on your short list of movies to see this weekend.
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