Line #17 Film/TheWayBack2020


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_way_back.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:''"I spent a lot of time hurting myself. I made a lot of bad decisions. I got a lot of regrets."'']]
3
4	''The Way Back'' is a [[SportsStories sports drama]] film directed by [[Creator/GavinOConnor Gavin O'Connor]] (''Film/{{The Accountant\|2016}}'') and starring Creator/BenAffleck, Janina Gavankar, Creator/AlMadrigal, Brandon Wilson, Hayes [=MacArthur=] and Rachael Carpani.
5
6	Jack Cunningham (Affleck) is a former HS basketball phenom who's struggling with alcoholism. He is offered a coaching job at his alma mater. As the team starts to win, he may have a reason to confront his old demons. But will it be enough to set him on the road to redemption?
7
8	The film was released on March 6, 2020.
9
10	Previews: [[https://youtu.be/VzNJVSsjE-I Trailer]].
11
12	Not to be confused with 2010's ''Film/{{The Way Back\|2010}}''.
13	----
14	!!This film provides examples of the following tropes:
15
16	* TheAlcoholic: Jack has a blatant alcoholism problem and lives in denial of it. He drinks in his car, in the shower, in bars, etc...
17	-->'''Beth:''' What's going on with you? What's new?\
18	'''Jack:''' Not much.\
19	'''Beth:''' Hate the idea of you down there by yourself all the time... Just drinking.\
20	'''Jack:''' I'm fine, I appreciate it. But it's... I'm fine.
21	* BerserkButton: Like many alcoholics, Jack loses his temper when he's confronted with his drinking problem.
22	* BigGame: Jack's team only needs one more game to make it to the playoffs... but their last chance is against the number one team in the league.
23	* BittersweetEnding: Jack [[spoiler: loses his job as coach just before the playoffs due to his alcoholism and nearly gets arrested after the resulting bender, but that allows him to finally seek out the help he needs to find a workable plan for recovery.]] Meanwhile, the team continues to improve as a result of his guidance.
24	* BlatantLies: Jack pretends he's fine, but his face, tone of voice and the multiple instances of him drinking say the contrary.
25	* FreudianExcuse: Jack was originally driven into drinking and drugs because he realized his father only showed love for him because of his basketball skills. His marriage apparently helped him recover somewhat, but when he lost his son to cancer it drove him even deeper into alcoholism than before.
26	* MetaCasting: Ben Affleck has well-documented alcoholism issues since about 2016, and plays a man who's struggling to get out of it.
27	* RecoveredAddict: Jack takes the coach job partly because he thinks it can help him recover from his alcohol addiction.
28	* SirSwearsALot: Jack is very foul-mouthed, casually dropping hard profanity in pretty much every context, including in front of the boys who make up the team. The chaplain calls him out on this multiple times. (The film is set at a Catholic school).
29	* SportsStories: A former basketball player who struggles with alcoholism and wants to put himself on a path of redemption by becoming a coach.
30	* TagLine: "Every loss is another fight."

Context Film / TheWayBack2020