First of all, The Tender Bar could not have a better moniker if it tried. The Ben Affleck starring film from director George Clooney is the true story of the son of an absentee father, J.R. (Tye Sheridan, Ready Player One), who finds himself at his Uncle Charlie’s (Affleck) bar where he gets life lessons from the closest thing he has to a father figure… in a bar! Not to mention the barflies who add their two cents over the course of the life of this boy who grows into a man with aspirations of becoming a writer.
The Long Island-set drama grabs you by the heart and never lets us go until those credits roll at its conclusion. There is something about what Clooney brings to this project as a helmer and the qualities he possesses as a storyteller that is surprisingly pitch-perfect for The Tender Bar. When the Oscar winner decides on a project to direct, there is something central to the story that resonates with him and as such every directorial effort of his is a passion project.
Clooney famously gave us Good Night, and Good Luck, Monuments Men, The Ides of March, The Midnight Sky, and now The Tender Bar. Each film couldn’t be more different subject-matter-wise and tonally than the others, yet there is a common thread that is the filmmaker’s eyes and heart. That simply illustrates my point that Clooney the director is moved by the material and as such he doesn’t seem to stick to a certain milieu, subject matter, or even cinematic genre.
With The Tender Bar, the father of two found a true tale about the lack of fatherhood via bloodline, but the receiving of paternal guidance can arise from anywhere—even the daily drinkers at a Long Island pub. In this day and age, it is important to have pieces of art such as Clooney’s film that put the modern (and evolving) definition of fatherhood up on the big screen via a medium that reaches more people than any other. With Affleck’s portrayal of Uncle Charlie, the director found an actor that he has a connection with from years of friendship, who is also a father trying to be the best dad he can, even if he isn’t married anymore to his children’s mother (Jennifer Garner).
Affleck is turning in some of his best work in his entire career of late. He deserved Oscar’s attention for 2020’s The Way Back, and the character he created for Ridley Scott’s Oscar buzzing The Last Duel is insane perfection. Now, with The Tender Bar, the director of the Best Picture Oscar-winning Argo has crafted a character that is wholeheartedly and uniquely his. Over the years, some of questioned his acting talents and when he chooses to “mail it in” or put in the work. Personally, I can’t think of a time where Affleck “mailed it in,” but some performances are better than others. There is absolutely nothing to find fault with his creation of Uncle Charlie, especially when it comes to his onscreen chemistry with Sheridan’s JR.
Sheridan has the biggest task to tackle of all those in the ensemble. His character has the largest arc of change as he goes from teenager who follows his uncle around like a puppy to a college student firmly finding himself whose use for his uncle’s advice and insight has not waned one bit. Their relationship shifts, and the young actor manages it in a manner that is not only believable but realistically raw. It’s a phenomenal performance.
Then, there’s Christopher Lloyd’s turn as Grandpa. The Back to the Future star completes the males of the family trifecta with Affleck and Sheridan and does so in a way that never feels like a characterization or anything resembling your “typical” grandfather. Yet, there must be some kind of through-line to Charlie and JR that is palpable and thanks to the deep and veteran talent of Lloyd, it is not only there, but it is subtly ingenious.
It all adds up to a charming, heartwarming, and endearing ode to the institution of fatherhood and how that influence on a child is priceless and how it doesn’t matter if it comes from the individual who fathered you. All that matters is that there is someone or several someone’s who take a personal stake in you, your future, and your growth as a man first, and human being second.
Grade: A-