Basketball movies are one of the things you either get right or you don’t. There is no middle ground. The latest entry into the basketball and film combo is The Way Back, the story of former high school basketball star Jack Cunningham(played by Ben Affleck) and his fight as first-time coach to lead his alma mater’s basketball team back to its glory days while overcoming his alcohol abuse and the problems it caused. It feels like the perfect opportunity for Affleck to bounce back in the movie world, but does The Way Back hit nothing but net like a wide open Steph Curry or does it brick like Shaquille O’Neal at the free throw line? Worse, it feels more like Drake’s ill-fated warm up line shot.
Affleck gives a performance that reminds us he is still a force in film despite a few misses as of late. It may be his talent. It may be his personal experience. It may be a combination of both. Regardless of the reason, he gives what is arguably his best and most convincing performance since The Town. Affleck is truly at his best in the moments where he is faced with the consequences and path of destruction his abuse of alcohol created.
An informed portrayal of someone battling alcoholism from Affleck was expected because it’s the type of role someone with his talent could play in their sleep, but he is surprisingly believable as a basketball coach as well. His interactions with the players, opposing coaches, and referees are the source of the film’s funniest and most lovable moments. The supporting cast doesn’t have much screen time due to The Way Back primarily being Affleck’s show, but Al Madrigal provides solid moments of comic relief and dramatic talent as Cunningham’s assistant coach.
Behind the camera is where The Way Back suffers and that starts with the script. Writer Brad Ingelsby can be forgiven for a script that features every cliché you would expect from the “underdog coach seeks redemption through coaching lesser talented team” narrative. We watch sports films to see the underdog succeed. The greater transgression is the script’s structure. The film tries to blend a sports story with a redemption/recovery story, but fumbles both because it doesn’t provide the necessary details for the viewer to become invested in either story. By the time we do receive a window into what pushed the Griffin character into alcoholism, the script undoes that by stating it was an issue prior to that incident due to other issues in the character’s past that aren’t touched. We also never know why/how the basketball team was in such dire straits prior to his arrival.
Given the success of his previous forays into sports films with 2004’s Miracle and 2011’s Warrior, having Gavin O’Connor in the director’s chair gave the film a lot of promise. However, that promise comes undone as O’Connor fails to save the poor script in addition to committing some fouls of his own, particularly in the basketball action scenes. The games appear to be so unrealistic that there’s actually a point where the film uses the same shot of a player dunking to show 3 separate scores. If that isn’t enough to make you want to call time out, the completely unnecessary close ups of the players in the game action scenes will have you fast breaking to the nearest concession stand until they end.
The Way Back does provide Ben Affleck with a way back to the Hollywood elite thanks to a strong performance that reminds you why you were a fan of his work in the first place. Unfortunately, there is nothing else about the film that warrants your time, energy, or money. It’s best that The Way Back stays on the bench until there is nothing else better for you to watch and I get the feeling that’s going to be a bit longer than 4 quarters.
Comments