“The Way Back” was written and directed by Gavin O’Connor and stars Ben Affleck, Janina Gavankar, and Michaela Watkins. The film hit theaters on Mar 6, but due to the Coronavirus, many theaters across the country and the globe had to close. As a result, the movie went to On Demand and was available for streaming and rent online.
The film is a character study on Jack Cunningham who was played by Ben Affleck. Everything in Jack’s life has fallen through. He once was a promising basketball player who got a full ride to Kansas, but now, he’s alone and coping with his problems by abusing alcohol. Jack gets an opportunity to coach his former high school basketball team as he hopes this will be his chance to find a way past the troubles in his life.
O’Connor and Affleck pair up to work together yet again and it pays off for both of them. In 2016, the two worked on the film “The Accountant” where Affleck starred in the main role and O’Connor sat behind to direct. That experience and chemistry from working together in the past is one of the reasons why this film was successful.
A Great Performance for Affleck
This role was a perfect fit for Ben Affleck. He does an incredible job of selling his addiction to alcohol and the effects it caused in his life. The opening scene of the movie displays this perfectly as Affleck cannot function without having a drink, whether that’s at work, home, or even at dinner with his family.
The question of how Jack got this way looms throughout the entire movie. Slowly you find out the ordeal that led him down this path, and the struggle that follows with it.
This was Affleck’s best role in a long time. He carries this movie, as he is its heart and soul. It is a performance similar to that of Adam Sandler in “Uncut Gems”. While the two characters themselves are different in some aspects, both have an opportunity to get out of situations that they brought on themselves. Whether or not they choose to make a change is the main difference between the two films and the characters.
Is This a Sports Movie?
This is certainly a sports film, no doubt about it. Gavin O’Connor has handled sports movies before as he directed “Miracle” in 2004. The scenes with basketball are executed flawlessly. Credit to Ben Affleck and the other actors as well because it really does feel like a high school-catholic league basketball game. However, at times there could have been more shown. This may have hurt the pacing of the film in general, but the main appeal is Affleck and his relationship with the kids on the team.
With no one to turn to, his players are a big reason why Jack is able to find a positive outlet in his life. Sometimes these scenes are cut short as the score is shown rather than parts of the game. Even though this is the right move, when important games occur it sometimes can be hard to relate to what the players go through since their characters are pushed a little off to the side.
There is one character, Brandon, played by Brandon Wilson, who is the star player on the team and gets the most screen time. His relationship with Jack is reminiscent of a father/son bond. They have the trust in each other that ultimately gets them through tough moments in the film.
The Current Situations of Movies Today
Today, with movies only coming out on streaming services, it will hurt theaters revenues for months to come. Many companies have already delayed releases as a result of the pandemic. It is very unfortunate that films like “The Way Back” and “Onward” won’t be able to get the same audience that they normally would, and that’s a big reason for this review. It's to shine a light on films that may get overlooked.
This is a solid sports and character study movie, and it deserves the attention. Ben Affleck has a phenomenal performance that will be inspirational for a lot of people.
Overall, this is one of, if not the best films of the year so far. There’s still plenty of movies that are slated to come out this year. Whether or not they hit their release dates is up to the Coronavirus and if things eventually slow down. At any rate, many projects will continue to come out, but the way that people watch those films will change for the time being. Regardless, those films still should be viewed, appreciated, and recognized.
Score: 4.2 out of 5