The down-and-out man (it’s always a man) who finds redemption in coaching a rag-tag team to glory is a staple in the feel-good sports-movie locker. Finding The Way Back embraces many of the sub-genre’s well-worn plays, yet has enough diversions from type to make it worth your while. It also has an MVP in Ben Affleck, who is as engaged and committed here as he has been for a long time, never over-playing a broken man who desperately needs to put himself back together.
Affleck plays Jack Cunningham, who is seemingly living in a Bruce Springsteen song; a former high-school basketball legend who is working in construction, divorced from his wife (a terrific Janina Gavankar, making something of a paltry ex-wife role) and spending far too much time in Harold’s Place talking about the old times, trying to numb the pain of A Tragic Incident. Chug-a-lugging brewskis daily in the shower, Jack has isolated himself from his family, and his most meaningful interactions come with the guy behind the counter at the convenience store. All this stuff is believably, quietly etched, laying the groundwork for the moment Father Devine (John Aylward) from Jack’s alma mater offers him the chance to train the school’s failing basketball team after the existing coach had a heart attack. There’s a long night of the soul, and then he accepts.
Affleck delivers Jack’s pain and remorse beautifully, a perfect portrayal of a functioning alcoholic.
Of course, what follows is pretty familiar to anyone who’s ever seen The Mighty Ducks 2: Quack In Action, or whatever it’s called. The team are a mixture of well-worn archetypes — the Brash One, The Horny One, The One With The Fat-Shaming Nickname, The Quiet One With The Real Talent — all with various problems at home. Of course, with Jack’s aggressive coaching tactics clashing with the school’s raison d’être to raise men of dignity and faith, the team transform from hopeless losers to a well-oiled winning machine. There are training-drill montages, barneys with refs, competitors from a rich school and last-gasp shots in slow-motion. So far, so obvious. But as shown in his previous sports flicks Miracle and Warrior, O’Connor has an eye for creating sports action that, for the most part, feels convincing and real. What is also impressive here is the way O’Connor and screenwriter Brad Ingelsby don’t let the sports story swamp the personal angle. You think Jack’s involvement with the team is going to lead the plot in a certain facile direction. Finding The Way Back has other ideas.
At the heart of it is Affleck, a bearded, burly yet somehow small figure. There is a synergy between character and actor (Affleck has had his well-publicised own booze-related problems) and Affleck delivers Jack’s pain and remorse beautifully, a perfect portrayal of a functioning alcoholic who grapples with a purpose that may or may not be his salvation. This is a Sad Affleck you’ll want to see, and ultimately reminds you of what a great actor he can be.
