Review: Ben Affleck soars in sobering 'The Way Back,' an addiction drama with underdog hoop dreams

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Review: Ben Affleck soars in sobering 'The Way Back,' an addiction drama with underdog hoop dreams
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  • 3 min. at publisher
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  • Publisher: 63%

Ben Affleck shoots, often scores and most importantly slam dunks a seriously gripping role in his new basketball drama 'The Way Back.'

The lowly squad hasn’t been a powerhouse since Jack’s legendary days on the court in the 1990s, yet with some tough love from their tattooed teacher, a new emphasis on furious defense, and a stream of curse words that makes the team chaplain blanch, the team turns its season around.

It’s the stuff that any sports-movie nut has seen before, and still, the hoops scenes are pretty nifty – O’Connor, who filmed another ragtag crew in the great “Miracle,” knows how to wring every rousing moment without going fully cornball. Character development is a problem throughout the movie, however, and especially in the beginning, as it takes a while to get to know the players with everything else going on in Jack’s life.

He’s able to play Jack as both rebellious leader of men and vulnerable addict equally well: The backstory of his character is a slow burn of enormous repressed emotion, and Affleck’s best stuff comes late in the game when the audience finally understands the depths of Jack’s struggles. He also gets some superb scene partners, including Gavankar in an understated role as Jack’s estranged spouse, Al Madrigal as the strait-laced assistant coach and Brandon Wilson as the team’s soft-spoken best player.

“The Way Back” never relents in its full-court press on Jack’s soul, and his journey to redemption isn’t easy and is actually quite sad, especially for those expecting, say, “Coach Carter” or “Glory Road.” This is a much more affecting narrative in how it tackles alcoholism and despair, a grounded effort that nonetheless allows Affleck to soar.

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USATODAY /  🏆 100. in US

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