‹ All movies
The Town poster

The Town

year 2010decade 10sdirector Ben Affleckgenre Crimegenre Thriller

124 minutes

IMDbLetterboxdJustWatch
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Ben Affleck Douglas "Doug" MacRay
Rebecca Hall Claire Keesey
Jon Hamm Special Agent Adam Frawley
Jeremy Renner James "Jem" Coughlin
Blake Lively Krista "Kris" Coughlin
Chris Cooper Stephen "Big Mac" MacRay
Pete Postlethwaite Fergus "Fergie" Colm
Slaine Albert "Gloansy" MacGloan
Owen Burke Desmond "Dez" Elden
Titus Welliver Det. Dino Ciampa

The Town | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonsguest Ryen Russillohost Chris Ryan
Explore episodeClose episode

Producer credits not yet identified.

Most Rewatchable Scene

The North End heist receives two votes over the opening robbery, vigilante beating, lunch encounter, Fenway climax, Fergie confrontation, and interrogation.

In the discussion (18)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:05Read transcript
  • The opening bank robbery is nominated.
  • The pre-robbery meeting and practical details are praised.
  • Claire working the safe and Doug calming her are praised.
  • Claire walking blindfolded to the water and the title card are praised.
  • Doug asking Jim for help without explaining why is nominated.
  • Jim shooting the attackers’ legs and “there goes college soccer” are praised.
  • Doug, Claire, and Jim’s lunch encounter is nominated.
  • Doug covering Jim’s neck tattoo is highlighted.
  • Doug and Jim’s post-lunch confrontation is nominated.
  • The North End robbery is an early leading choice and receives two final votes.
  • The construction-detail cop looking away is praised.
  • Doug and Jim’s cemetery fight is nominated.
  • Doug confronting Fergie and learning about his mother is nominated.
  • Hamm interrogating Blake Lively at Sully’s is nominated.
  • The Fenway heist and shootout receive Russillo’s final vote.
  • Doug killing Fergie is nominated.
  • Hamm interrogating Affleck is nominated as the movie’s Heat diner scene.
  • Bill and Chris make the North End robbery their final choices.

What’s Aged the Best?

Charlestown detail, accents, Lively, the theatrical ending, Renner, the cop looking away, and local texture lead aged-best.

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:09Read transcript
  • The Jack Clark Red Sox line is praised as specific local humor.
  • Affleck’s Boston accent is praised.
  • Blake Lively’s “why am I always the one getting used?” delivery is praised.
  • Lively’s performance is defended.
  • The decision not to use the ending where Doug dies is praised.
  • The Old Sully’s and New Sully’s locations are praised.
  • The “not fucking around crew” phrase is praised.
  • Hamm’s “national organization” intimidation is praised.
  • The Boston dating scene is judged accurately captured.
  • Fergie’s bodyguard’s 02129 tattoo is praised.
  • Doug watching Bones is praised as character detail.
  • Pete Postlethwaite’s Fergie speech is praised.
  • Jeremy Renner’s performance is selected as the overall aged-best answer.

Blake Lively Story Time

Two research anecdotes cover Lively’s month with Charlestown locals and her surprise that Affleck knew Matt Damon.

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:03Read transcript
  • The panel explicitly proposes Blake Lively Story Time as a new category for this episode.
  • Lively reportedly spent a month with Charlestown locals in apartments and bars.
  • Affleck recalled Lively asking how he knew “Jason Bourne” after seeing Damon’s childhood home.
  • The anecdote is interpreted as a generational break from the Matt-and-Ben publicity era.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Helicopter shots, Hamm’s accent, prison material, Heat echoes, law-enforcement logic, escape mechanics, and generic shirts lead aged-worst.

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:32Read transcript
  • The movie uses too many overhead helicopter shots.
  • Hamm’s brief mock-Boston accent is debated as intentionally bad.
  • The Chris Cooper prison scene is considered emotionally inert by one host.
  • Several surveillance and shootout beats directly echo Heat.
  • The film’s redemptive ending for Doug is questioned given the violence.
  • The FBI’s inability to secure charges or block escape routes is questioned.
  • Doug escaping in an MBTA uniform while carrying money is questioned.
  • Generic Boston-themed T-shirts are criticized.
  • The film’s treatment of its murderers is considered harder to defend in a current context.

Casting What-Ifs

Adrian Lyne nearly directed; Mark Wahlberg was wanted for Jim before Casey Affleck suggested Jeremy Renner.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:29Read transcript
  • Adrian Lyne was considered as director.
  • Affleck originally wanted Mark Wahlberg for Jim.
  • Wahlberg was unavailable while making The Fighter.
  • Casey Affleck suggested Jeremy Renner after working with him.
  • Renner had completed The Hurt Locker before The Town’s release.

Most Improbable Fenway Park Scene Ever

The 2004 Red Sox comeback wins over The Town heist, Fever Pitch, and Moonlight Graham.

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:49Read transcript
  • The panel explicitly creates Most Improbable Fenway Park Scene Ever.
  • The Town’s Fenway heist is nominated.
  • Drew Barrymore crossing the field in Fever Pitch is nominated.
  • Moonlight Graham appearing on the scoreboard in Field of Dreams is nominated.
  • The real 2004 Red Sox comeback is selected.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Research covers the Melrose bank location, prison filming, and the disputed Charlestown bank-robbery statistics.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:27:45Read transcript
  • A former MassBank branch in Melrose was used for the opening robbery.
  • The Chris Cooper scene was filmed at MCI Cedar Junction, reportedly a first for the prison.
  • The trailer claimed more than 300 annual bank robberies centered in Charlestown.
  • Contemporary Massachusetts robbery statistics were much lower.
  • Charlestown residents objected to the portrayal.
  • The source book was set in the mid-1990s, when the reputation fit better.

Apex Mountain

Rebecca Hall, Fenway, Charlestown, Slaine, and Blake Lively receive separate apex judgments.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:27Read transcript
  • Rebecca Hall is judged below her commercial apex.
  • Hall’s casting and look are praised as right for Claire.
  • A personal Rebecca Hall anecdote is recounted.
  • Fenway Park is assessed after two World Series titles and as a film location.
  • Charlestown’s historical apex is jokingly placed in the Revolution.
  • Blake Lively is judged at her apex by one host and defended by the others.

Picking Nits

Chris’s DWI timing, heist disclosure, sibling casting, Claire, voices, uniforms, hockey, and rink funding produce distinct nitpicks.

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:37Read transcript
  • Chris is thrown out of the Fenway hotel and gets a DWI almost immediately.
  • Chris knowing and disclosing the Fenway plan is confusing without deleted scenes.
  • Renner and Lively’s physical mismatch as siblings is questioned.
  • Jim not killing Claire is questioned.
  • Claire’s exposure to the investigation should make her a larger police target.
  • Claire should recognize Doug’s voice from the robbery.
  • Doug’s abrupt end as a third-round Bruins pick is questioned.
  • The ice-rink donation funded with stolen money is questioned.

The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie

“There goes college soccer” wins over Jack Clark, townie Christmas, and several intimidation lines.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:09Read transcript
  • The Jack Clark line is nominated.
  • “There goes college soccer” is selected.
  • “Oxy, guns—it’s like townie Christmas” is nominated.
  • The surveillance-photo barbecue line is nominated.
  • Doug’s critique of the guard who thinks he is special forces is nominated.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

A ten-episode series could use the four-hour material and deepen Hamm, Jim, Chris, and Doug’s hockey story.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:04Read transcript
  • The director’s cut already approaches limited-series length.
  • A series could expand Jim’s backstory.
  • A series could expand Hamm’s character and interest in Claire.
  • A Krista Coughlin-focused episode is proposed.
  • A minor-league hockey episode for Doug is proposed.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Uniforms, the rink, Shine’s future, Fenway cash, role swaps, and Doug’s hockey ability drive the questions.

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:43Read transcript
  • Where did the gang get all the official uniforms?
  • How did Claire establish the rink with stolen money?
  • What happens to Shine Coughlin as a teenager?
  • Why would Red Sox ownership show Fenway as easy to rob?
  • Would swapping Blake Lively and Rebecca Hall improve the film?
  • Would swapping Affleck and Renner improve the film?
  • How good at hockey was Doug?
  • Would a local Bruins draft pick be too recognizable to become a bank robber?

Who Won the Movie?

The panel splits among Jeremy Renner, Ben Affleck, and Boston.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:46:30Read transcript
  • Jeremy Renner is selected by one host without hesitation.
  • Ben Affleck is selected for directing and launching his next career phase.
  • Boston is selected as the third answer.
  • A long Revolutionary-era anecdote argues that the city’s combative identity spans centuries.