WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for The Way Back.

Summary

• Jack finds redemption on his road to recovery from alcoholism through coaching a struggling basketball team.
• The film delves into themes of mourning, grief, and addiction, offering a darker take on the underdog sports story.
• Ben Affleck's portrayal is inspired by his own battle with alcoholism, showcasing the impact one person can have on others.

The ending of The Way Back offers Jack a glimpse of redemption on his road to recovery from alcoholism. The 2020 sports drama directed by Gavin O'Connor was as much about mourning, grief, and substance abuse as it was about basketball, taking a darker spin on the traditional sports team underdog story. Ben Affleck stars as Jack, a former high school basketball phenom at a Catholic high school who is asked to become the head coach of the basketball team. Jack works construction but lives a lonely life up until he signs on to coach the Bishop Hayes varsity team, a group of determined yet unguided athletes.

Affleck leads The Way Back's cast alongside his assistant coach Dan (Al Madrigal), his ex-wife Angela (Janina Gavankar), and his reluctant star player Brandon (Brandon Currett). The Way Back's gritty cinematography and moody atmosphere contribute to the overall dark themes of the film, which extend beyond addiction and alcohol abuse alone. As it's revealed about halfway through the film, Jack is a father mourning the loss of his nine-year-old son. He and Angela weren't able to stay together after the tragedy, and The Way Back spends much of its runtime next to Jack, who drowns through a steady influx of alcohol, denial, and suppressed rage.

Although The Way Back is not a true story, Affleck was outspoken upon the film's release about his own battle with alcoholism and how that experience inspired some of the qualities of his character. Director Gavin O'Connor, who is best known for his uplifting underdog sports classics such as Miracle (2004) and Warrior (2011), previously worked with Affleck on The Accountant. The Way Back was mostly positively reviewed by critics, earning an 84% critic score and audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The end of The Way Back confirms that, despite Jack's struggles with grief and addiction, he was still able to make an impact on the Bishop Hayes players.

Jack Rushes To A Bar After Visiting Miguel’s Son At A Hospital

Jack is forced to relive what happened to his son, Michael

Just as things seem to be turning a page for Bishop Hayes and Jack, Angela's brother Miguel's son is diagnosed with cancer, which sends Jack on a spiral at his local dive bar that ends in destruction.

Jack successfully turns the struggling Bishop Hayes basketball team around by inspiring some motivation and grit among the previously indifferent players. He successfully inspires the best player, Brandon, to take the shot when the game is on the line, a lesson in confidence that Brandon will likely never forget. He also gets his father to pay attention to Brandon's abilities on the court, showing just how good Jack was as a coach outside his alcohol consumption. Just as things seem to be turning a page for Bishop Hayes and Jack, Angela's brother Miguel's son is diagnosed with cancer, which sends Jack on a spiral at his local dive bar that ends in destruction.

Why Father Edward Couldn’t Give Jack Another Chance To Coach

Bishop Hayes had a zero-tolernace policy for alcohol on the premesis

Father Edward wished he didn't have to let Jack go, but as he says in the scene, Jack essentially made the decision for him.

The Bishop Hayes assistant coach, Dan, had already let one incident involving Jack drinking in his office slide, which had already broken the school's zero-tolerance policy. After Jack showed up to practice still drunk from the night before, Dan could no longer permit Jack's off-the-court behavior to trickle into their responsibilities and coaches and mentors to the players. Dan went to Father Edward, who had reached out to Jack in the first place about coaching. Affleck gives a great and authentic performance, deflecting responsibility and rapidly getting angry once he was told to hand over his keys. Father Edward wished he didn't have to let Jack go, but as he says in the scene, Jack essentially made the decision for him.

Jack’s Drunken Home Invasion & Hospitalization Explained

Jack's intoxication reaches a new criminal low

Jack escalates the situation by refusing to wait for the cops, falling down the steep outdoor stairs and badly injuring his head, leaving him hospitalized.

After Jack has seemingly lost it all, he returns to his life as a local barfly at his usual pub. He drives drunk with a woman in the passenger seat, taking his eyes off the road and crashing into the back of her neighbor's boat attached to a truck parked on the street. She tells him to meet her around the back of the house, but Jack is so intoxicated that he doesn't realize that he walked into a total stranger's home. Jack grabs a beer and urinates in a corner of their living room before the neighbor comes out with a baseball bat. Jack escalates the situation by refusing to wait for the cops, falling down the steep outdoor stairs and badly injuring his head, leaving him hospitalized.

What Happened To Jack & Angela’s Son, Michael?

Michael died at the age of 9 from brain cancer

Jack was not able to fully emotionally recover from such a devastating loss and it becomes poignantly clear that he used alcohol as a way to numb himself from the pain of losing his son.

The specific details about how Jack and Angela's son Michael died are finally revealed through Jack's own words towards the end of the film. Jack has started seeing a therapist as part of his residential rehab program and finally is able to open up about Michael, someone he had never been able to talk about before. Jack explains that he doesn't talk about Michael because his death is so tragic and difficult to deal with, having died at the age of 9 from brain cancer. Naturally, Jack was not able to fully emotionally recover from such a devastating loss and it becomes poignantly clear that he used alcohol as a way to numb himself from the pain of losing his son.

The Real Meaning Of The Way Back’s Ending

Both Jack and the Bishop Hayes players found redemption

Even if Jack was sidelined by the end of The Way Back, his impact on the court was still greatly felt.

The ending of The Way Back feels bittersweet even though it is evident that Jack has left a lasting impact on his Bishop Hayes players. The decision to remove Jack as the head coach remained final, which was a realistic and somewhat anti-Hollywood ending that really drives the authenticity of the movie home. As Jack works his way through the residential rehab program he signed up for, the Bishop Hayes players carry the torch that he lit as their head coach, making it to the playoffs for the first time in 25 years in Jack's honor. Jack is unable to witness their success for himself, but he undoubtedly played a major role in the players' success and development.

The Way Back sees both Jack and the Bishop Hayes players find uncharted territory that demonstrates the work they have put into self-improvement. Although Jack's time as head coach was brief and he left in disgrace, he lit a fire under the team's bellies that hadn't been sparked since he stopped playing for them. He was also able to inspire a better relationship between Brandon and his father, who finally showed up for one of his son's games. Jack had expressed that he essentially quit basketball to prove something to his father, which he deeply regretted. Even if Jack was sidelined by the end of The Way Back, his impact on the court was still greatly felt.