The Tender Bar

This poignant coming-of-age story shows that life is a cocktail of lessons that, when stirred, helps you grow up right. Advice pours faster than the drinks at Uncle Charlie's bar, and, just like a shot of aged barrel whiskey, some of that advice goes down a little rough, but the overall takeaway is smooth. JR's influences come from the many people he encounters: A priest (Billy Meleady) he meets on a train, the regulars who frequent Charlie's bar, his put-upon grandfather (Christopher Lloyd), his handwringing mother (Rabe), his Yale roommate (Rhenzy Feliz), and, of course, his revered Uncle Charlie (Affleck, in a career-defining role). JR is also shaped by behaviors, trying to figure out who he is since his family makes it clear that he shouldn't follow in the footsteps of the man he's named after: his largely absent father (Max Martini).

As much as the advice dispensed in the movie is directed at a preteen boy, the messages are intended to reach adults, too. JR says, "When you're 11 years old, you want an Uncle Charlie." As we only see JR's memories from his own perspective, Charlie is essentially God. In JR's 11-year-old eyes, Charlie is the epitome of cool: He speaks about life with authority, drives a muscle car, does well with the ladies, leads his barside community, and dominates in a game of duckpins. But director George Clooney leaves breadcrumbs for viewers to realize that Charlie doesn't quite have it as together as JR believes. The Tender Bar is meant to be a like a night out: You sip the experience, you yammer about it, and you're left with great memories to reflect on later.