Ben Affleck's New Film, 'The Way Back,' Deals With Alcoholism After Actor Suffers Public Sobriety Relapse

Gettyimages | JOHANNES EISELE

The trailer for Ben Affleck's latest film, The Way Back, dropped on Thursday, and people are already talking. The film tells the story of Jack Cunningham, an alcoholic former basketball player who is struggling with alcoholism, reeling from a failed marriage, and feeling stagnant in a dead end job.

However, Cunningham gets a shot at redemption when he is asked to come and coach his old high school team. Can he battle his demons while his players battle it out on the court?

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzNJVSsjE-I&feature=emb_title[/embed]

The Way Back is a personal project for Affleck who has struggled with alcoholism for years. He said on Today in March,

"It doesn't really bother me to talk about alcoholism and being an alcoholic. It's part of my life, something that I deal with. It doesn't have to subsume my whole identity and be everything but it's something you have to work at. I had a problem and I really wanted to address it. I take some pride in that ... It's about yourself, your life, your family. People encounter these kinds of hurdles and we have to deal with them."

Affleck has been to rehab for alcohol use three times, with the most recent stay in 2018. He said after completing his 40 days that it gave him "the strength and support to speak about my illness with others."

"Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle. Because of that, one is never really in or out of treatment. It is a full-time commitment. I'm fighting for myself and my family. So many people have reached out on social media and spoken about their own journeys with addiction. To those people, I want to say thank you. Your strength is an inspiration and is supporting me in ways I didn't think was possible. It helps to know I am not alone. As I've had to remind myself, if you have a problem, getting help is a sign of courage, not weakness or failure."

Gettyimages | BG027/Bauer-Griffin

At a Halloween celebration this year, Affleck was seen publicly intoxicated and struggling to enter his ride. After the incident, Affleck told TMZ, ""It happens, it’s a slip, but I’m not going to let it derail me."

Affleck's best friend and creative partner Matt Damon also addressed the lapse in his sobriety, telling Entertainment Tonight that "he’s looking great, and he’s doing great. We’ve been working together on this screenplay, and … he’s just doing great.."

Hopefully Affleck continues to get the help and support that he needs following the slip up.