Based on J.R. Moehringer’s 2005 memoir, The Tender Bar is a nostalgic, coming-of-age story that’s simple in premise and complex in character. Directed by George Clooney and adapted by screenwriter William Monahan, the film centers on a young man’s (Tye Sheridan) life in Long Island; a lower-middle-class life full of eccentric characters like a struggling mom (Lily Rabe), a grumpy grandpa (Christopher Lloyd) and, most importantly, a very cool uncle (Ben Affleck). 

Against all odds, J.R.’s smarts and skills land him at Yale University where he makes friends, falls in love and gets the idea to become a writer. But it’s the “remember where you came from” feeling that fills in the gaps where most people expect plot. And herein lies the beauty of stories like The Tender Bar – its characters are plot enough. 

Sheridan’s charisma and likability magnetically carry you along J.R.’s journey from his college acceptance letter to his first day as a young writer at The New York Times. He leads a charming supporting cast, most notably Affleck in an atypical role of paternal bartender Uncle Charlie. While it can be difficult to adapt an entire life’s memoir into a two-hour film, Monahan highlights the necessary points in J.R.’s journey for the story to make sense to the viewer: his girlfriend, his father, his mother’s cancer diagnosis. It all comes together to create a subtly poignant story of growing up, moving out and returning home again – through memory.