The last time George Clooney and Ben Affleck worked together on a project, the result was “Argo.” It won them both Oscars as producers when the 2012 drama steamrolled to a Best Picture victory at the 85th annual Academy Awards. But now, nine years, the two Hollywood icons have teamed up on something new, and with a new dynamic: an adaptation of the best-selling memoir “The Tender Bar,” in which Affleck stars and Clooney directs.
“It’s been a long few years and it’s been pretty divisive and pretty mean-spirited, in general, for all of us. I’ve been part of it; I’ve been angry,” Clooney said at a special screening of the Amazon Studios release in New York this week. “This felt kind and gentle, and I was ready to do something like that and I felt like maybe some people would be willing and ready to see something less divisive for a second.”
Based on the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer J.R. Moehringer, “The Tender Bar” is a coming-of-age story about J.R., a young boy who grows up on Long Island in the late 1970s and early 1980s with aspirations of becoming a writer. Affleck plays J.R.’s uncle, Charlie, a gregarious bartender who teaches his nephew about the world through his own unique experiences.
“Ben is a really good actor. This is the best part he’s been given and he got a chance to show what he can do,” Clooney said of his star at a screening of “The Tender Bar” in Los Angeles last week. “I just had to get out of the way.”
Speaking in New York this week, Clooney joked that Affleck was the “cheapest” actor he could find for the small-scale drama. “We tried everybody, we tried Matt [Damon], he was too expensive. [Other actors] wanted a lot of money, and Ben needed the job,” Clooney joked.
“No, we’re friends,” he added. “We’ve worked together before, we’ve had great success before. I really like him. He doesn’t get offered the kind of parts that show off the kind of things he can do. I want him to be my uncle. He’s really good in this film. But he’s that guy. He was the first guy on the set, he knew everybody’s lines. He was really excited to do it.”
Affleck has won two Academy Awards in his long and winding career: as a screenwriter for “Good Will Hunting” and as a producer for “Argo.” But despite those wins and a resume loaded with major films and performances — including “Shakespeare in Love,” “Gone Girl,” “The Way Back,” and “The Town” — he’s never received an Oscar nomination for acting. Early buzz indicates that could change in 2022. In addition to “The Tender Bar,” which has garnered him strong praise, he’s also been hailed for stealing scenes in Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel” (which he co-wrote with Damon and Nicole Holofcener, the first script Damon and Affleck have done together since “Good Will Hunting”).
But of the two performances, it seems like “The Tender Bar” might be stickier. Charlie is an extremely likable character and Affleck leans into his inherent charm throughout the supporting performance. (He shares most of his scenes with Tye Sheridan and newcomer Daniel Ranieri, who play J.R. at varying ages, and his work with Ranieri, in particular, is easy and natural.)
“He gave me the best notes of any director I’ve ever worked with; the most playable, useful notes,” Affleck said last week of being directed by Clooney. “George gives notes that are both about the character’s internal life but also the specificity of what’s actually happening in the moment. He really is an expert. I’m just lucky that I got the chance to work with him.”
Affleck currently sits in 13th place on the Gold Derby charts in the Best Supporting Actor race for “The Tender Bar,” but he’s rising by the day. With the release of a new trailer to promote the December release (see it above) and more industry screenings coming in the future, don’t bet against an Affleck ascent.
“The Tender Bar” is in theaters on December 17 before arriving on Amazon Prime Video on January 17, 2022.
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
