Directed by two-time Academy Award winner George Clooney, The Tender Bar follows the true, coming-of-age story of novelist JR Moehringer, based on the author's memoir of the same name. In the film, JR is played by three actors depicting the various stages in his life; Daniel Ranieri in his childhood, Tye Sheridan in his college years, and Ron Livingston in his adulthood. Filled with nostalgia, The Tender Bar is Moehringer’s recollection of the people and the circumstances that shaped him to be who he is.
With a screenplay by William Monahan, The Tender Bar also boasts an ensemble cast, including Ben Affleck, Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd, Max Martini, and Sondra James. The film had a limited release on December 17, 2021, before being made available on Amazon Prime Video just three weeks later. While critical reception has been lukewarm, performances from The Tender Bar’s cast have been praised, with Affleck even earning a Golden Globe nomination for his role. Moehringer also serves as an executive producer on the film.
The eponymous memoir that served as the film’s inspiration chronicled JR Moehringer’s youth throughout the 70s and 80s. Since he was personally involved in The Tender Bar’s production, he guaranteed the accuracy of his life’s narration. Born John Joseph Moehringer, Jr. in 1964, he was raised alone by his mother Dorothy (Rabe) after his father, disc jockey Johnny Michaels, abandoned them. This situation forced the mother and son to relocate to Long Island, where JR’s grandfather resided. Similar to how The Tender Bar played out, JR cultivated relationships—both abusive and beneficial.
JR struggled with the absence of his biological father, especially since he could still hear him on the radio. He then found a father figure in his uncle Charlie (Affleck), and over time, Charlie’s bar Dickens became a regular refuge for him, where he also grew closer to its patrons. Despite their colorful backgrounds, the bar’s regulars guided him growing up, teaching him about manhood, courage, and character. More importantly, it was at Dickens that JR’s interest and skill at writing were cultivated, picking up anecdotes and hearing interesting conversations.
Of course, there are some creative liberties exercised in the film. For instance, The Tender Bar omitted the time Moehringer spent in Arizona when he was in high school, and instead focused on his Long Island journey. Also, while in the film, JR—played by X-Men franchise’s recast Cyclops, Tye Sheridan—thought of writing his memoir at Yale University, but in reality, he first worked as a journalist for two decades before even coming up with the idea. Moehringer started out as an assistant at The New York Times, before eventually becoming a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. His work for the latter newspaper earned him a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 2000. When he started working on his 2005 memoir, he opted to use his initials instead of his real name to avoid being associated with his father.
After publishing his memoir, Moehringer was tapped by various personalities to co-write their autobiographies, too. Retired tennis star Andre Agassi asked for assistance on his 2009 book Open: An Autobiography, while the memoir of Nike’s co-founder Phil Knight entitled Shoe Dog benefited from Moehringer’s ghostwriting. Even Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex chose Moehringer to co-write his autobiography, which will be released in late 2022. In addition, his article for the Los Angeles Times Magazine served as the inspiration for the 2007 sports drama Resurrecting the Champ, starring Samuel L. Jackson. Currently, JR Moehringer, the primary inspiration of The Tender Bar, resides in the Bay Area with his wife and two children.
