THE WAY BACK
US, 2020, 108 minutes, Colour.
Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Janina Gavankar, Michaela Watkins.
Directed by Gavin O' Connor.
There are several nuances in the title of this portrait of a man and his failings. There is the way back to his self-esteem. There is a way back to his rehabilitation from alcoholism. There is a way back to his better self, to some kind of redemption.
On the one hand, this is a basketball film, with many of the familiar conventions of the sports story. On the other hand, this is a very personal story about a man and his failings, comeback and continued failings, about the need for some kind of redemption.
For those who enjoy basketball, there are scenes of practice, a losing team becoming better, the creation of a spirit in the team, the exhilaration of competitive matches, the ups and downs of the particular members of the team and the demands of the coach, the final match full of energy and tribute to the coach.
But, overall, the film is the portrait of the coach. He is played by Ben Affleck, a mature performance showing a man whose self-esteem has lowered over the years, especially in the face of a tragedy. He works on a building site, lives alone estranged from his wife, does visit his mother and his sister and her family, admired by his nephew, but has few prospects in bettering his life and himself.
A step towards the way back and was redemption comes from the parish priest, Fr. Devine, who invites him to come back to his school where he was a basketball champion in order to coach the team. He is quite reluctant, spends time brooding, but actually does go back to accept the job. Interestingly, this is a Catholic high school and the basketball competition seems to be an inter--Catholic schools’ competition. (And, there are standards at the school, zero tolerance towards alcohol in the school and a language norm, which Jack, with his four letter outbursts, needs to tone down – and the assistant priest, Fr. Whelan, who attends practices and the matches, keeps insisting.)
Gradually, the reasons for Jack’s collapse emerge, the untimely death of his son, his inability to communicate his grief and his feelings, his lack of support for his wife and their separation.
The film does not offer Jack any easy way back. He has to go through quite a moral and physical collapse, losing his job, a drunken accident, hospitalisation. And then, we see the first steps towards rehabilitation. But, we know that Jack has failed previously and can only hope that this time he will be more successful in his redemption.
1. The title? Jack’s way back in basketball and coaching, his way back from alcoholism, his way back from grief and self-isolation?
2. The American city, streets, bars, homes, the school, offices, stadiums? Sports and matches? The musical score?
3. Ben Affleck as Jack? Age, experience? The background of basketball at school and his reputation? Filling in the background of his marriage, his wife and love for her, his son, the illness and death? His grief, isolation, not talking with others, failing his wife in the situation? His drinking? His work on building sites? No hope?
4. Fr Devine and his approach, the offer of the job? Memories of his past? His initial reaction, refusal, spending time pondering, at home, in the shower, reluctant? He is going to the school, with Fr Devine, getting the job? Working with Dan?
5. Going to visit his family, his bond with his mother, his sister, admiration from his nephew? The later visits to the family? His sister’s anger with him, her continued support, visit him in hospital?
6. The basketball story, familiar material, the various sequences with Jack coaching, his blunt methods, continued swearing (and the regulations at the school and Fr. Whelan’s complaints)? The members of the team, their personalities, Jack and punctuality and the boy expelled from the team? His going back to Jack’s house, pleading, Jack’s harsh stands, the boy and his love for the game, coming back? The friendship with Marcus, his becoming captain? The boys working together, the practice, the matches, from losses to gains? Building a spirit?
7. The Catholic atmosphere of the story, the Catholic schools and their competitions, the zero tolerance of alcohol, strict discipline? Prayers and spirit?
8. Jack, the meetings with his wife, harsh comments on her behaviour, the visit to his son’s grave?
9. The news for Jack to go to hospital, his seeing the children with cancer, not able to face it, memories of his son?
10. His continuing to drink? Failure to turn up at practice? Fr Devine and Dan coming to see him, the confrontation, banning him? The repercussions?
11. The outing with the young woman, crashing the car, going into the wrong house, being evicted, his fall, injuries, hospital?
12. Jack confronting himself, his sister’s influence, some counselling, opening up, acknowledging his grief, favours?
13. The return to his family, going to see the basketball match, the team wanting to win for his sake?
14. The way back, rehabilitation, some form of redemption?
