Ben Affleck Seeks Redemption at THE WAY BACK
Watching The Way Back , I saw that this is an example of a film that has a plot and a story that is often used in other films. A drunk who is walking on a path of destruction finds the path of truth through a sport. Indeed, films like this are very easy to like because of how inspiring it is to see someone bounce back from their downturn, especially if the end result is satisfactory, like the character Jack Cunningham, played very well by Ben Affleck. But I can't shake the feeling that this film, even though it has a deep message, cannot convey the message strongly enough.
This film tells the story of a construction worker who works during the day, at night he visits his regular bar and gets drunk and staggered. Beer and alcohol are like companions for his life, even in his refrigerator is always full of beer cans that he can finish in just one night. Jack, our main character, is one day offered a position as a basketball coach at the school where he also attended and played. Jack is known as an excellent basketball player, was offered the position because the current coach was hospitalized and could not continue. Although at first he was not interested, the following morning he accepted the job.
At first, he seemed lazy. The team is losing constantly, the players are not very motivated, and Jack just says it's a good job to distract himself from all the bad things that have happened to him. But one night when he wanted to visit his favorite bar, he didn't get out of the car. After long contemplation, he started the car again and went home. For the first time, he resisted the temptation of alcohol. And so began Jack's journey to find the right path. And it all started with staying away from alcohol and getting serious about training the basketball team.
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The story this film has is good. Everything works so sensibly that we can indeed feel how miserable Jack's life is. And we also know more and more what causes him to continue to embrace his destructive nature. But again, the story of this film is like the story of most films that carry the theme of redemption. Someone who ultimately wants to stop and do what is right. Just like The Way Back , where Jack finally wants to finish with his old habits.
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Not only is the story a cliché, but it also seems too straightforward. Too smooth. Until the last few tens of minutes of the film, Jack's life feels like a dream in which he is free from the habit of drinking alcohol. While I thought something was going to hold Jack back, he still succeeded. Then at the end of the film, tragedy strikes that finally puts Jack back on the path of destruction. Then he again sought redemption. If this film has a hidden meaning and message, then it is not strong enough to really make the audience think deeply.
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But despite all the clichés this film has, The Way Back is still a good film and it's all because of Ben Affleck's appearance. His appearance as an alcoholic and addicted to alcohol may indeed be very close to the personal life of Ben who often finds himself in the middle of cases of alcoholism. Jack's character also feels real, where we can directly see someone who does look drunk and not making it up. Ben knows how to be addicted and he also knows how to act drunk because this is his dark past.
Movements such as wobbling, digressing speech, his irritable self and throwing beer cans from the table. It may be uncomfortable for some viewers to look at, but Ben Affleck himself told The New York Times that “The benefits, to me, far outweigh the risks. I find this very therapeutic. " The director, Gavin O'Connor who directed the 2016 film The Accountant which also stars Ben Affleck, said "I thought Ben, in an artistic way, in his most humane side, wanted to face his own problems through this character and heal himself."
And it is true. The end result is a film that feels deeper, even deeper than it should be because of Ben Affleck's resplendent and believable performances. How can a person's life be destroyed in an instant by drinking alcohol, a drink that should not be destructive if drunk in small amounts. How we see Jack behave with alcohol is probably also what Ben did when he was drinking alcohol.
The Way Back , like the sport that inspired it, wanted to employ film story tactics that were successful and liked by many but with a major drawback, namely stories that "plagiarized" in a format we often see in similar films. But this film manages to get past that cliché stage with Ben Affleck's so open appearance, we can't help but feel inspired after we finish watching it.