How do you make a basketball movie in 2020 that doesn’t get quickly compared to Hoosiers, Coach Carter, Glory Road, and Hurricane Season, not to mention the many other films about a sports team facing adversity? Sometimes, when you see the trailers for the first time of a movie like Gavin O’Connor’s (The Accountant, Warrior), The Way Back, you kind of groan, thinking, “Here we go again. How are we supposed to get something different from this movie?” But he was unequivocally able to do that. Admittedly, this movie could have been better in its script and sequencing. Still, its parts made up for its occasional lack of cohesion and left you feeling hopeful in a movie you expected to find hope, albeit in a much different way.
The Way Back is a good movie, but its order of events suffers quite a bit. We learn early that our protagonist, Jack Cunningham (Gone Girl, The Town), is an alcoholic. In one scene, we watch him drink an entire case (24 cans) of beer in one night. He has some anger issues, though he is not violent. But we don’t know why. We learn later on his reason for his anger, his depression, and his drinking. I admire O’Connor’s efforts to keep his thoughts a secret. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for me. It happens way too late. We had too many teases before that, but none of them worked. However, when we learn of his reasons, it sheds light on why he feels the way he does and does what he does to numb the pain.
The other problem occurred when he was hired as head coach of the Catholic school, where he set individual playing records in the late ’90s. Jack found quick success, even though he had no coaching experience and hadn’t picked up a basketball in 20 years. But that’s not the main problem. The main problem is that his other issues seem to disappear. While I understand his devotion to becoming the best coach he can be and getting his players to be the best players they can be, alcohol addiction cannot be ignored. Yet it is. The transition between basketball and his personal life is inconsistent, if not completely forgotten. It doesn’t work. And the basketball isn’t even that great compared to the movies in my opening paragraph. However, the character development and differentiation are very good, which can be difficult when there are so many characters, especially in a sports movie where many are the same age. What works best in this movie is his connection with his players, and their connection with him. He’s hard on them, and they respect him for it. They are a group that requires discipline and wants to win. And now they have a coach who can give the former and wants the latter.
As mentioned, Cunningham’s problems were forgotten during his basketball team’s success. And that can’t be the case. While certain things can be put on hold, a disease like alcoholism is not one of them, at least not without some help. Yet, we seem to go weeks without referencing his private life. And while he certainly is a functioning alcoholic, I didn’t think the movie should have steered so far away from his time after basketball practice or his time on the weekends.
The Way Back definitely deserved its R rating, and I was delighted that O’Connor went in this direction. We needed the adult themes. And we certainly needed Cunningham’s profanity, which starkly contrasted with the ideals of the Catholic school he coached. Assistant coach Dan (Al Madrigal) tries to confront him about it but quickly backs away.
Ultimately, The Way Back succeeds, but it takes a long time to get there. What you think will happen doesn’t necessarily happen. It does, to an extent, but the story takes detours and ends in a way I didn’t see coming. While the end felt rushed (almost as if O’Connor needed something to escalate Cunningham’s drinking problem), it was still effective. This is a basketball movie, but it’s more about its protagonist (often the coach/manager in a sports movie) than the sport itself. It certainly isn’t Hoosiers or Coach Carter, but it is a solid basketball movie that fans of the sport or Affleck will enjoy. I recommend it for sure.
Plot 8.5/10
Character Development 9/10
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 8/10
Screenplay 7/10
Directing 7/10
Cinematography 7/10
Sound 10/10
Hook and Reel 8.5/10
Universal Relevance 8.5/10
81.5%
B
Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie
- Coach Carter
- Hurricane Season
- Hoosiers
- Friday Night Lights
- Glory Road