There are many life lessons in “The Tender Bar,” a new, easygoing drama starring Ben Affleck based on the life of journalist and author J.R. Moehringer, and now streaming on Amazon Prime. Set in and around The Dickens, a bar named after the author of "David Copperfield," barstool wisdom about the value of books, education, taking care of your mother and “not keeping money like a drunk" in the front pocket of your shirt, abounds.
Charlie’s guidance and the colourful regulars who populate the bar, like Bobo and Joey D , help form J.R.’s young life. "When you're 11 years old,” he says, “you want an Uncle Charlie."J.R., having inherited his Uncle Charlie’s love of storytelling and words, is a student at Yale, studying law, but with aspirations to be a writer. Now played by Tye Sheridan, he falls in love with Sidney , a smart, “lower upper middle class” schoolmate who gives J.R. another lesson in heartbreak.
The scenes Affleck shares with Ranieri provide the film’s highlights. The young actor, making his film debut, brings genuine curiosity to J.R., a kid who has been knocked around. but always has his eyes to the future. It’s a delightful performance. Sheridan nicely mirrors the character as a young adult, but it is Ranieri who makes us care about J.R.
Then there is Callie , a pregnant woman who demands Leda leave a spot on the beach so her family can spread out. “They’re bad people,” says a local. Flashing to-and-fro from present day to two decades past, where Leda is played by the great Jessie Buckley, the story fleshes out a portrait of a woman harboring deep regret for her past actions. “It’s like I’ve been trying not to explode,” Leda says, “and then I exploded.”
Her doctor tells her that “dementia isn’t a disease that just goes away. This lucidity you are experiencing will be temporary. A Few hours if we’re lucky.” They want her to stay put in the dementia ward, but she has other ideas. She escapes, flags a cab and returns to her old life, or whatever is left of it. For June, it’s as if the last five years never happened, but life has moved on.
We watched this last night, great movie. Has all the feels!