4. Finding the Way Back

 

🚨All of the 'You Changed My Life, Coach!' posts contain major spoilers🚨

'Finding the Way Back' (the UK title) is a film released in 2020 starring Ben Affleck. Here's the Wikipedia page. 

Ben Affleck plays an alcoholic construction worker who is recruited to become head coach of the basketball team at the high school he used to attend when the previous coach has a heart attack.

I'm a fan of Ben Affleck, I think he's a talented actor. I think he was the best Batman, for a start. Ben Affleck's performance here is good, really good even, but there's something off about this film and ultimately I found it unsatisfying. I think perhaps it's a story about alcoholism and grief that has a bit too much inspriational sports movie thrown in. 

I'm sure everybody tried their best though and hey I've never made a feature film.

The portrayal of Ben Affleck's character's alcoholism is pretty strong. The last time I remember alcoholism being as front and centre in a film was 'Leaving Las Vegas'. I appreciated this, it was powerful. However, when Ben Affleck's character turns the basketball team around (against all odds) he appears to have magically kicked the booze without any ill effects, which doesn't seem particularly credible.

Also we learn why Ben Affleck's marriage collapsed fairly late in the film, and it disrupts the rhythm.

There are some good bits stemming from the fact that the high school is Catholic, and that the team have a dedicated pastor. There's a clear, but understated religious framework going on. Some of the interjections from the pastor to discourage Ben Affleck from being a bad influence on the boys are amusing. This strict moral line ultimately undoes Ben Affleck's coach when he relapses and starts drinking again, turns up drunk for practice, and is summarily fired.

The basketball bits are good. The team are serious underdogs but turn it around through hard work and playing to their strengths. The quiet but most talented member of the team is coaxed out of his shell and becomes a leader. The cocky member of the team who gets kicked off redeems himself and comes back to play. There's a tiny sub-plot with the philandering member of the team who gets his comeuppance. The team get pasted by their wealthy rivals early on in the film, but against all odds they beat them in the return game.

 

This film does the genre thing where having reached the playoffs (against all odds, naturally) we don't know how far they progress because the film ends. Classic. I can't work out if an inspirational sports film deserves more or less credit for this.

Anyway, I think 'Finding the Way Back' is a case of around 30 minutes of genre movie being in the wrong place. With less basketball and no montages this could have been a better film. It has a really indie film ending too - abrupt and implied, going for some visual poetry and such.

Did the coach change lives?

Maybe he did. Hey, maybe he even changed his own life but we can't be sure.

Was there triumph against the odds?

The odds were high and they were resoundingly triumphed against on the court. Off the court is a different matter but hey isn't that just the way in life.

Did people grow together through sport?

A bit.

Did you cry?

I was close once or twice, but no.

Score

5 out of 10