The film, penned by William Monahan and seemingly directed by George Clooney with little effort, offers another superficial look at the early life of an aspiring author. This isn't exactly new ground; similar stories have already been explored in movies like Unstrung Heroes, Almost Famous, and Neil Simon’s ‘Eugene Trilogy,’ among others. J.R. Maguire (played by Daniel Ranieri and Tye Sheridan), inspired by American novelist and journalist J. R. Moehringer, comes from a family that feels assembled from stock characters—a weary single mother, an irresponsible father, a grumpy grandfather hiding a kind heart, and a cool uncle who takes on a paternal role. The film’s one redeeming quality is the presence of Christopher Lloyd and Ben Affleck as the grandfather and uncle, respectively. “When you're 11, you want an Uncle Charlie,” J.R. observes, and I completely agree, particularly since Uncle Charlie owns The Dickens Bar, stocked with both alcohol and books. A film centered on this concept—featuring Ben Affleck as a bartender and amateur philosopher dispensing drinks and life lessons alongside Christopher Lloyd as his regular customer—is what the movie should have been. Instead, the material is so predictable that even Affleck and Lloyd's talents can’t elevate it beyond mediocrity (it’s filled with tired phrases; for instance, to highlight J.R.’S unattainable romantic interest, Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” suddenly appears on the soundtrack), and it falters whenever they aren't onscreen. The performances don't help either; Sheridan, who showed promise in Mud and Joe, seems to have lost his spark during adolescence. In those earlier films, he held his own against Matthew McConaughey and Nic Cage, but here Affleck delivers a far more compelling performance. Most disappointing is the constant assertion from various characters that J.R. is a gifted writer, yet we’re never shown any evidence of it—only vague comments about some indefinable quality or the simple declaration that “You are a writer the moment you say you are.” He doesn't seem to grasp that talking a good game and actually being good are two different things.

Source on TMDB