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The Town

124 minutes

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

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Producer credits not yet identified.

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.

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.

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.

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?