Does 'The Town' Mean It's Time to Take Ben Affleck Seriously Again?

By Moviefone Editors Posted Sep 17th 2010 05:00PM

Pop-Ed: I've always liked Ben Affleck. And with the release of this weekend's 'The Town' (a movie I enjoyed immensely), it's nice to have a respected Affleck back in our lives. Sure, in the past, like anyone, I questioned most of his decisions when it came to his roles. Who didn't? It's the tale of two careers when comparing fellow Best Original Screenplay winner Matt Damon and Affleck. After their Oscar win for 'Good Will Hunting,' Damon chose his roles wisely and stayed out of the tabloids; Affleck did the exact opposite. When Damon would chose to do a bigger budget Hollywood action movie, he chose the Jason Bourne films; Affleck chose 'Reindeer Games' and 'Pearl Harbor.' The thing is, I still liked the guy. Even while in the process making dud after dud, it seemed like Affleck was going to become the heir apparent to Alec Baldwin as a recurring host on 'SNL.' Despite everything, based on his 'SNL' appearances, at least the guy could still have fun and laugh at himself.

Then came the unfortunately titled 'Hollywoodland' (licensing issues prevented the film film being called 'Truth, Justice, and the American Way'). Affleck played George Reeves, a man miserable with his life after being typecast as Superman. The scene that stands out is of Affleck, as Reeves, filming himself rolling around in his front yard as an audition for professional wrestling. I was honestly moved. Reeves, unfairly, was a joke -- his last option was wrestling. Affleck, too, was becoming a punchline -- his option was Reeves. Perhaps the comparison was not lost upon Affleck, but he nailed the role (unfortunately, not many people actually saw 'Hollywoodland').

The Town

It took him awhile, but this is the trajectory that Affleck should have been on all along. This is no longer an actor who chases a paycheck. No, literally -- Affleck once starred in a movie actually called 'Paycheck.' What followed was Affleck's directorial debut -- unless you count his 1993 short film ' I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney' (seriously) -- the critically acclaimed gritty crime drama 'Gone Baby Gone,' a film that nabbed Amy Ryan a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

Affleck was wise to stay behind the camera for 'Gone Baby Gone.' His reputation was pretty much shot, and his appearance in the film may have very well lessened its power. Moviegoers theoretically passing on the possibility of watching, explaining, "Oh, it's a Ben Affleck movie? I learned my lesson with 'Bounce'!" The trouble after 'Gone Baby Gone' was twofold: It was a relatively small film and not everyone saw it, let alone knew that Affleck directed. And, as stated, Ben Affleck didn't appear in the film -- his brother Casey played the lead. To complete his comeback, Affleck needed to star in another post-'Hollywoodland' film.

For the rest of Affleck's life, he's probably going to be hearing wisecracks about 'Gigli'; that's inevitable. The stench of Affleck circa 2000-2004 is just going to be part of his life; there's no getting over that. To borrow a reference from Affleck's beloved Red Sox: Sure, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007, but that doesn't mean 1986 never happened. What's fortunate for Affleck is that America loves a comeback story. And, let's face it, it's not like Affleck committed a crime ('Surviving Christmas' notwithstanding). Celebrities have came back from a lot worse. Bad films or not, he's remained a likable fellow.

Enter: 'The Town.' Not only does Affleck star, he also directs. Not an easy task. Based on this, and the good reviews alone, Affleck should be considered a major force in Hollywood again. Perhaps it's no coincidence that Affleck returns to a role in which he has to drop his 'R's for a heavy Boston accent -- shades of 'Good Will Hunting.' Most important: Affleck put his ego aside and surrounded himself with great actors like Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm. Affleck is now thinking like a successful director, not an ego-fueled actor who has to be the most important thing going on in every scene; it's not surprising that Renner and Hamm have the best lines. And, after seeing the film, it's time to welcome Ben Affleck back to the world as a respected Oscar-winning artist. 'The Town' is so good it almost makes a person forget about Affleck's questionable career choices. Almost.

Written by regular PopEater contributor Mike Ryan. You can follow Mike on Twitter.

Tags: ben affleck

Comments

(16)

Saturday 18 September

By *-*

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The only reason Affleck is "hearing wisecracks about 'Gigli" - are people like this author. Affleck's moved on, ffs.. So should this "writer".

Friday 17 September

By Sweet

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It is impossible to fall out of love. Love is such a powerful emotion, that once it envelops you it does not depart. True love is eternal. If you think that you were once in love, but fell out of it, then it wasn't love you were in. There are no 'exit' signs in love, there is only an 'on' ramp.
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By Robbie

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Why not? I mean he made some missteps as far as movies go but who doesn't? It was really Jennifer Lopez that brought him down with her. The only difference is, he has talent. Of course he can rebound.

By NY

He has rebounded with Gone Baby Gone. I can't wait to see The Town. Affleck is very talented. A good actor also.

By Sallygreenre

I love The I-nterracial R-o-m-ance! It is so nice. My boyfriend and i both think so. He is a s-e-x-y black man,lol. I know him via *** (Black w hite Cupid)* .*{C00M} *** a nice place for black white singles, to interact with each other…no bounds or extremes in front of true love. . …@love it

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By Dana

Saw it this afternoon. It was good. I enjoyed it and it had a good ending.

Sunday 19 September

By Rican

i started hating him about the time he made that ggggg cant even say thats movies name lol but this movie looks like it will put him back on the radar again.

By lolabull

I wasn't aware that BA was taken seriously to be begin with?

By anon

Did a 5 year old write this article? Did you learn about grammar, spelling, or proofreading?

By Gino

What does "DWTS" stand for?

By jlusmom

"dancing with the stars"

By Linda

I don't care what anyone says about Ben!! I think he's awesome and would see any movie he's in. He and his wife are THE best Hollywood couple! I just love them!!

By SiastaEg

I think both him and his brother have been in some decent roles. This is one movie I will see, plus Jon Hamm is a solid actor, although my fiancée wants to have his kids...I will still take her to see this. Looks good.

By Marissa

Saw The Town today and absolutely loved it. It keeps your attention all the way through. Lots of witty lines. Loved the ending. Ben is back!

By loriann

I saw this great movie Friday night; its the second best movie of the year--the best movie is Inception.
Ben's talent is awesome.

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