The Top 40 Basketball Movies - #4. The Way Back

 The Top 40 Basketball Movies - #4. The Way Back

Not to be confused with the 2010 Ed Harris vehicle The Way Back or The Way Way Back with Sam Rockwell (that I also really enjoyed). Technically a tie with Coach Carter numbers wise but it gets the tie-breaking nudge from me. Similar Rotten Tomatoes audience score but much higher critic score though slightly lower IMDB. I do believe it belongs in the 5-10 range of basketball movies. It left a good taste in my mouth when it was over. I think I would really have to revisit it again to appreciate it more. The movie was definitely not all roses. It hits it's themes, especially alcoholism over the head. It really helps that Ben Affleck is so likable. Ben Affleck actually was going through alcohol rehab just prior to this movie. It feels like it's missing something in the beginning, the first scene with Jack's family didn't really feel right. You eventually find out that Jack had lost his wife and child which starts him down this road. Similar concept to so many of these movies including Coach Carter, great high school player comes back to coach. The team starts playing better under Jack's tutelage but eventually gets done in by his vice. My favorite scenes happen off the court, in one of them Jack goes to see a boy's father at work about going to watch his son play. In another, Jack gets drunk and wanders into someone else's home. Not familiar with the writer but the director Gavin O'Connor is no stranger to sports movies as his resume includes Miracle and Warrior. The only other actor I recognize - Melvin Gregg, also did High Flying Bird. It definitely is a step above a generic sports movie. I don't think it's as good as White Men Can't Jump, BASEketball or even Above the Rim for me at this point but deserves to be in the conversation with Coach Carter, Glory Road, and Believe in Me as similar movies.

Movie	Rotten Tom	Rotten Tom Aud	IMDB	Internet Rank	My Rank
4. The Way Back	84	84	6.7	9	5
5. Coach Carter	64	85	7.3	7	7
6. Air	92	98	7.7	1	14
7. White Men Can't Jump	77	68	6.8	17	1
8. He Got Game	80	83	6.9	8	11
9. Uncut Gems	91	52	7.4	13	9
10. One on One	88	75	6.5	15	12
11. Above the Rim	52	82	6.6	18	10
12. Champions	59	95	6.7	12	17
13. BASEketball	41	74	6.5	28	2
14. Glory Road	55	81	7.2	14	18
15. Finding Forrester	74	79	7.3	10	22
16. Rebound: The Legend of Earl “The Goat”	50	94	7.6	6	27
17. Inside Moves	50	77	7.0	19	16
18. Hoop Dreams	98	92	8.3	2	35
19. Uncle Drew	61	48	5.7	32	6
20. Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story	50	99	6.9	11	28
21. The Winning Season	50	55	6.6	26	15
22. Fast Break	50	59	6.1	30	13
23. Believe in Me	60	74	7.0	16	29
24. High Flying Bird	91	50	6.2	20	26
25. "O"	64	58	6.1	22	25
26. Forget Paris	48	56	6.5	29	19
27. Sunset Park	13	83	5.9	31	21
28. Game Day	50	82	5.4	25	30
29. Blue Chips	37	51	6.2	33	23
30. Amateur	60	66	5.9	24	32
31. The Air Up There	21	35	5.5	38	20
32. Space Jam	43	63	6.5	27	31
33. Semi-Pro	22	38	5.8	36	24
34. Heaven Is a Playground	50	84	5.8	21	39
35. Hurricane Season	50	69	6.5	23	38
36. Teen Wolf	42	52	6.1	34	34
37. Boogie	42	57	5.2	35	36
38. Rebound	14	38	5.1	40	33
39. Slam Dunk Ernest	50	31	4.5	37	37
40. Eddie	17	36	5.2	39	40