The Way Back (2020) Warner Bros./Drama RT: 108 minutes Rated R (language throughout including some sexual references) Director: Gavin O’Connor Screenplay: Brad Ingelsby Music: Rob Simonsen Cinematography: Eduard Grau Release date: March 6, 2020 (US) Cast: Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins, Janina Gavankar, Brandon Wilson, Charles Lott Jr., Will Ropp, Melvin Gregg, Lukas Gage, Da’Vinchi, Jeremy Radin, Glynn Turman, Hayes MacArthur, Matthew Glave, T.K Carter, Jeremy Ratchford, Dan Lauria, Chris Bruno, Rachael Carpani, Marlene Forte. Box Office: $13.6M (US)/$15.5M (World)
Rating: ***
The biggest surprise in the sports drama The Way Back has nothing to do with the plot. A flawed coach whipping a team of underdogs into shape is a tale as old as The Bad News Bears. We’ve been there and done that countless times since 1976. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. As it so happens, The Way Back is a case of the former, but that is not the big surprise either. No, it’s Ben Affleck and his amazing performance as an alcoholic basketball coach not dealing with a major family tragedy. He plays the role with such skill and nuance; it’s almost like witnessing a rebirth.
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Affleck’s acting. He’s usually pretty wooden, a style on open display in the recent Netflix movie The Last Thing He Wanted. The Way Back is a 180 for the actor; he totally crushes it. Obviously, it’s because the role is very personal for him. Affleck’s own struggles with alcoholism are well known. He just finished a stint in rehab when he began filming this movie. He understands the nature of the beast because he’s been there. He taps into his own experiences to help create a believable character. This is what Oscar performances are made of.
In high school, Jack Cunningham was a basketball superstar with a bright future. Then for reasons of his own, he gave it all up. Today, he’s a construction worker by day and barfly by night. He’s been separated from his wife Angela (Gavankar, True Blood) since a big tragic event rocked their lives. He’s always drinking from the moment he wakes up in the morning until he passes out at night. He even takes a can of beer into the shower with him, that’s how bad it is. Then he gets a call from the headmaster of the Catholic high school he used to attend. The school needs a new basketball coach and he wants their old star player. The team is a mess. They haven’t even made the playoffs since Jack’s time. He takes the job and sets about turning them into a winning team.
As I’m sure you can surmise, The Way Back isn’t just a mere sports movie; it’s also about redemption and dealing with tragedy. You’ll notice that I keep saying tragedy and nothing else. That’s because the movie doesn’t show these cards until late in the game. It builds up to it rather than reveal it right away. It’s a gambit that works; it keeps you wondering what could be responsible for the protagonist’s messy state. It’s bad enough that he’d rather suppress his emotions with beer and booze than deal with them. At the rate Jack is going, you know it’s only a matter of time before the big crash-and-burn happens.
There’s one thing I don’t like about The Way Back. Maybe that’s putting it a bit too strongly. There’s one thing I don’t buy about it. Yes, that sounds better. About midway through, Jack decides to quit drinking. He does it cold turkey. That’s a HUGE mistake for somebody who drinks as much as Jack. He’d be suffering from a major case of the DTs that would render him unable to function for at least a few days (if not longer). The movie never shows anything like this. Instead, it’s more like an occasional drinker giving up beer for Lent. It should have a greater impact on a heavy drinker like Jack. I can’t believe the makers and Affleck missed this.
When it comes to sports drama, The Way Back is fairly cliched. The players are types we’ve met before like the kid with game but no self-confidence (Wilson) and the hothead who begs to be reinstated after the coach kicks him off the team (Gregg). There’s also an assistant coach (Madrigal, Night School) content to be second-in-command and team chaplain (Radin) with faith in Jack. It contains familiar scenes like when a player’s father (Carter, Doctor Detroit) dismisses Jack’s talk of college scholarships as unrealistic. Yes, we’ve seen it all before, but it works thanks to solid, confident direction by Gavin O’Connor (Miracle, Warrior). The game scenes are legitimately thrilling; the drama is genuinely moving. Thanks to smart editing choices by David Rosenbloom, the games feel like real games as opposed to sports highlights videos. The score by Rob Simonsen is especially effective in how it’s sparingly used. I like that O’Connor doesn’t rely on current pop songs to augment the action. That’s one cliché I can easily do without.
In the end, The Way Back isn’t so much about who wins the big game as it is about Jack getting back into the game of life. He’s going to miss a few shots along the way, but it’s not an unobtainable goal. I’d also like to call your attention to the great performance by Gavankar as the wife. She’s more than a supporting player; she too is directly affected by the tragedy and Jack’s subsequent behavior. Whenever she’s around him, it’s like walking on eggshells. She too is sad about what happened but it’s compounded by Jack shutting down. Gavankar plays it perfectly. Despite a few flaws, The Way Back is a winner!
