Ben Affleck's Beer Choice In The Way Back

In the 2020 film 'The Way Back', Ben Affleck plays a former high-school basketball star who works in construction and struggles with alcoholism. Affleck's character, Jack Cunningham, starts his day with a beer in the shower and continues drinking throughout the day. To play the role of an alcoholic, Affleck gained weight, stating that to play a guy that drinks a case of beer a day, you got to look like it. Affleck has been open about his struggles with alcohol addiction and has said that playing a character with a drinking problem was interesting and therapeutic.

Ben Affleck's character Jack Cunningham starts his day with a beer in the shower

In the 2020 film The Way Back, Ben Affleck's character, Jack Cunningham, is a former high-school basketball star turned construction worker, battling alcoholism. Cunningham starts his day with a beer in the shower and pours some into a cup to get through the workday. Affleck's character is seen performing an "alarmingly efficient relay of desperation" as he moves one beer can at a time from the fridge to the freezer for maximum cooling.

Affleck's character is a divorced, middle-aged man who has given up on life and turned to alcohol to soothe his pain. The actor himself has battled alcoholism and has been open about his struggles with alcohol addiction. To play the role of an alcoholic, Affleck gained weight, stating that "to play a guy that drinks a case of beer a day, you got to look like it". He also said that he found it "interesting" to play a character who dealt with the same addiction issues that he had faced in his personal life.

The Way Back provided Affleck with an opportunity to bring his personal experiences to the character of Jack Cunningham. The film explores the emotional textures and habits that keep Cunningham locked in a cycle of self-imposed helplessness. Despite the film's overall mediocre reception, Affleck's performance was praised for capturing the "serrated edge of shame" and the "emotional textures" of a man struggling with addiction.

He pours beer into a cup to get through the workday

Ben Affleck's character, Jack Cunningham, in the film The Way Back, starts his day with a beer in the shower. He pours some into a cup to get through the workday, and at the end of his shift, he reaches into his car's backseat cooler to crack open another. Affleck's character is a former high-school basketball star who now works in construction and is separated from his wife. He is a struggling alcoholic, and his addiction is portrayed in a painfully honest light in the film.

Affleck himself has been very open about his struggles with alcohol addiction and has been to rehab multiple times. He has spoken about how his divorce from Jennifer Garner contributed to his drinking, stating that he started drinking more when their marriage was falling apart.

In the film, Jack's drinking is not limited to the workday. At home, he easily works his way through a couple of six-packs in an evening, not counting the time he spends at the local bar. Affleck's portrayal of Jack's alcoholism and the habits that keep him trapped in a cycle of self-imposed helplessness are alarmingly efficient and poignant.

Affleck has said that he couldn't drink as his character does in the film due to his sobriety, so he ate a lot of junk food and carbs to look the part of "a guy who drinks a case of beer a day". He gained weight to play the role, reaching 245 lbs.

The actor has also pointed out that addiction comes in more form than just alcoholism. He notes that for many people, food is their addiction, and it is a way to soothe their pain and stimulate serotonin and dopamine. Affleck's honesty and vulnerability about his struggles with addiction and his efforts to maintain sobriety have been commended.

He keeps a backseat cooler in his car with beer

In the 2020 film "The Way Back", Ben Affleck plays a former high-school basketball star who works in construction and struggles with alcoholism. Affleck's character, Jack Cunningham, starts his day with a beer in the shower and pours some into a cup to get through the workday. At the end of his shift, he reaches into a backseat cooler in his car to crack open a cold beer, and he easily works his way through a couple of six-packs in an evening, not even counting the time he spends at the local bar.

Affleck has been open about his struggles with alcohol addiction and has said that he gained weight for his role in "The Way Back" by indulging in food in an alcoholic way since he couldn't drink himself. He said that to play a "guy who drinks a case of beer a day, you got to look like it". Affleck's character in the film is a reflection of his own life, as he has publicly battled alcoholism and has been to rehab multiple times.

The actor has spoken about how his public divorce influenced his drinking habits, stating that he started drinking more when his marriage was falling apart, which in turn created more marital problems. Affleck has also said that playing an alcoholic character who dealt with addiction was interesting and therapeutic for him. He saw a reflection of himself in the character's addiction, as he too faced divorce and the complications of middle age.

Affleck has been vocal about his sobriety and has said that he feels "really good" despite having sober slips here and there. He has also expressed that he wants his children to know that there is no shame in getting help when needed and that he is doing his "very, very best" to stay healthy.

He drinks a couple of six-packs in an evening at home

In the 2020 film The Way Back, Ben Affleck plays a former high school basketball star who returns to his alma mater to coach while confronting his alcoholism. Affleck's character, Jack Cunningham, is shown to drink a couple of six-packs of beer in an evening while at home.

To play an alcoholic, Affleck gained weight, stating that "to play a guy that drinks a case of beer a day, you got to look like it." The actor, who has been open about his struggles with alcohol addiction, said that he "totally indulged in a very alcoholic way with food" to achieve the right look for the role. Affleck's character is shown to start his day with a beer in the shower, drinking from a cup to get through the workday, and reaching for a cold one from his car's backseat cooler at the end of his shift.

The film captures the habits that keep Jack locked in a cycle of self-imposed helplessness. In one scene, he is shown moving one beer can at a time from the fridge to the freezer for maximum cooling, drinking them one after the other until the refrigerator shelf is empty. It is a stark portrayal of the vicious cycle of addiction, where the compulsion to soothe one's pain leads to behaviours that ultimately worsen the situation.

Affleck has spoken candidly about his own struggles with alcohol addiction, including relapses, and has been vocal about his journey towards sobriety. He has acknowledged the challenges of diagnosing himself as an alcoholic, despite seeing it in his family, and has emphasised the importance of seeking help and support. In playing Jack Cunningham, Affleck brought personal experience to the character, connecting with the ex-athlete's addiction, divorce, and complications of middle age.

He also spends time at the local bar

In the 2020 film The Way Back, Ben Affleck plays Jack Cunningham, a former high-school basketball star turned construction worker who is separated from his wife and battling alcoholism. Affleck's character starts his day with a beer in the shower and continues drinking throughout the day, including at the local bar.

The film depicts the cycle of addiction and the desperate measures taken to feed the habit. For example, at home one night, Jack is seen moving one beer can at a time from the fridge to the freezer for maximum cooling. With each can he drinks, he moves another one up from the refrigerator shelf until it is empty.

Affleck has been open about his own struggles with alcohol addiction and has said that he gained weight for the role by "totally indulg [ing] in a very alcoholic way with food". He has also pointed out that addiction comes in more forms than just alcoholism and that any compulsive behaviour can become a vicious cycle.

In the film, Jack's drinking habit is portrayed as a way to dull the pain of his divorce and the secrets he carries. Affleck has spoken about how his own public divorce influenced his drinking habits and how he turned to alcohol to cope with the discomfort and pain of his marriage falling apart.

The Way Back provided a "reason" for Jack's drinking, but Affleck has commented that his character's despair would be just as convincing without it. The film captures the emotional textures and the serrated edge of shame that comes with addiction.

Affleck's performance in The Way Back was vulnerable and moving, and he has said that playing the role was "the most satisfying performance experience of my life". The film and his character's addiction to alcohol hit close to home for the actor, and he has been praised for bringing his own experiences to the role.

Frequently asked questions