Movie with Abe: The Way Back

The Way Back
Directed by Gavin O’Connor
Released March 6, 2020

People face a variety of setbacks throughout their lives, and having a support system to rely on during hard times can make all the difference. Unfortunately, not everyone has that, whether through a series of circumstances beyond their control or because of a willful desire not to accept help from others. Returning to a place of hope and happiness can seem impossibly distant, and getting there may require an intervention from someone else who notices suffering or outside influences that serve as a productive distraction and motivator.

Former high school basketball star Jack (Ben Affleck) consumes a worrisome amount of beer each day, struggling to find meaning in his construction job. When he is offered the chance to coach the lackluster basketball team at his old school, he reluctantly accepts. He finds his passion but also has immense difficulty tempering the anger he feels that manifests itself in foul language and other behavior deemed unacceptable by the school. His fractured relationship with his ex-wife (Janina Gavankar) and demons from his past threaten to derail a future that might actually allow him to channel his energy into something that will be good for the next generation.

This is, in many ways, a typical sports movie that also deals extensively with alcoholism and depression. As Jack debates whether to take the job, he cycles through a number of beer cans that he systematically moves from the refrigerator to the freezer, clearly rehearsing a process he has repeated many times. He snaps at his sister (Michaela Watkins) when she dares to question how often he is seen at the bar, and outright denies any lingering issues when pressed by his new assistant coach (Al Madrigal), who immediately defers to his expertise as soon as he first sets foot on the court. Everyone around Jack seems to be rooting for his success, but he is intent on punishing himself for past failures even if no one else seeks to put blame on him.

Affleck has received considerable praise for his performance, which does find him investing deeply in a character in a way vaguely reminiscent of his standout turn in 2006’s “Hollywoodland.” His star power might be enough to catapult him into the Oscar race, but there’s nothing especially extraordinary about this standard and relatively expected film. It’s still a worthwhile story, even if it travels a road many films have explored before, with some sports excitement thrown in to make Jack a fractured hero worth supporting even if his choices are rarely the best.

B

Movie with Abe: The Way Back

The Way Back
Directed by Peter Weir
Released January 22, 2011

Some films can be easily classified as epics, where a grand, sweeping cinematography-filled adventure, battle, or experience fills a large chunk of the plot. They are often extensive in runtime and prone to indulgence in celebrating their own magnitude. Some films, such as “Gladiator” or “The Lord of the Rings” (at least the first two films), are marvelously effective staples of the genre. Others, such as Peter Weir’s new film “The Way Back,” try so desperately hard to feel like epics that they ultimately just don’t deliver as either compelling or rewarding, taking their audiences on an overlong and tiresome journey.

The story of three men who escaped from a Siberian gulag and walked several thousand miles to India is without a doubt fascinating. Some have raised questions about its truthfulness as a real-life event, but that need not be part of the analysis or breakdown of the film. What’s more pertinent is that it’s a magnificently intriguing story, yet the execution of the film doesn’t do it justice at all. It’s the kind of cinematic realization that leaves viewers with a desire to learn more about how this incredible journey occurred, hardly being fulfilled by the events onscreen as some sort of explanation.

Its participants undertook a long, unbearable, impossible trek to get to freedom. The film represents a similarly strenuous and seemingly endless trip, consistently failing to seize upon the more interesting portions of a given scene or the journey as a whole. Director Peter Weir has made many terrific films – “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “The Truman Show,” “Dead Poets Society,” and “Witness” are among the more notable – and this is not one of them. There’s no trace of hidden brilliance here; instead it’s a movie that presumes itself to be of grand importance, and accordingly assigns its characters significant roles in its greater storytelling scheme. Ed Harris is the fatherly veteran, Saoirse Ronan (“Atonement,” “The Lovely Bones”) the wandering orphan who instantly commands trust from all of the men, Colin Farrell the crazy-eyed jackal, and Jim Sturgess the stoic, always hopeful leader. With the exception of the solid and dependable Sturgess, none of these otherwise great actors delivers a strong performance, though Mark Strong (“Body of Lies,” “Rocknolla”) impresses in his limited role. It’s simply not worth traveling the way back with this group, and it’s a shame because with such a terrific premise and the talent involved, the dialogue should not have been this bad and the film should not have been this dull.

C-

Tuesday’s Top Trailer: The Way Back

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

The Way Back - Opening December 29, 2010



I wanted to make sure to catch this trailer online after hearing that this forthcoming film would be premiering at the last minute in Los Angeles on December 29th before opening wider in early 2011, therefore making it into the eligibility period for this year’s Oscars. And Oscar bait it is! Director Peter Weir has four previous nominations – “Master and Commander,” “The Truman Show,” “Dead Poets Society,” and “Witness” – three of which also ended up with Best Picture bids. The cast is impressive, led by Jim Sturgess of “Across the Universe” and “21,” Colin Farrell, and Saoirse Ronan, astonishing in both “Atonement” and “The Lovely Bones.” Don’t forget Ed Harris – a magnificent actor who has yet to win an Oscar and could finally do it this year if the film, along with his performance, is a hit. This is a true epic, the likes of which haven’t quite been mimicked recently, and therefore this could be a welcome film for general audiences and Oscar voters. Even though “Defiance” didn’t fare too well two years ago, this harrowing and breathtaking (at least as the shots in the trailer indicate) story very well may. The tagline, “The escape was just the beginning,” is strikingly similar to that of a silly 2005 FOX show that went on too long, but I have a feeling that this will be more structurally sound than “Prison Break,” and equally thrilling. The uber-late release date means that most of us, even those in New York City, may not see it until the new year, but I’m looking very forward to it.