No. 17. (2020) THE WAY BACK March 12th.

Film No. 17. (2020)  March 12th.  10:10 PM  UNITED CINEMAS  Rockingham. 

"I know you're suffering. I just want you to be happy again but you're gonna have to want it too." (Jack's wife Angela works on Jack to accept he's going to need to mend his own broken heart).

Since Hoosiers (1986) there hasn't really been a basketball story of the same feelgood quality. Ben Affleck's reforming alcoholic coach Jack, matches the Gene Hackman, Coach Norman Dale, in spades. The Way Back is as good as, if not better than, Hoosiers. A big lay-up I know, but that is how I see it.

Gavin O'Connor (The Accountant, Jane Got A Gun) in arguably his best film, takes a tried and tested formula of downtrodden team overcoming all to succeed, via the gritty viewpoint of Jack (Afflick), a man grieving and using alcohol to cure his state of mind. 

Jack is a basketball legend as an alumni of Bishop Hayes High School. Father Devine (John Aylward) asks Jack to fill an emergency vacancy to coach the ailing school team. A team lacking the success Jack experienced during his hayday. It's Norman Dale all over again but director Gavin O'Connor has given extra emotional gears to Jack. Jack is a good man and some key scenes build our empathy for the effective feel good climax. A climax that is not quite what we bargained for, but just as effective.

This is Ben Affleck's film. Given the issues of addiction he has battled personally in recent times, this project has his full attention. There is a legitimacy about Affleck here. But most importantly The Way Back is entertainment of the colour by numbers type and there's nothing quite like cheering new heroes to victory. 9GUMS.