William Monahan on Writing The Tender Bar and Neil Jordan’s Marlowe Movie Starring Liam Neeson

With director George Clooney’s The Tender Bar now streaming on Prime Video, I spoke with Oscar winning screenwriter William Monahan (The Departed) about writing the film based on Pulitzer Prize-winning writer J.R. Moehringer’s memoir of the same name. If you haven’t seen the trailer, the Massachusetts-set drama explores the relationship between the fatherless J.R. (Tye Sheridan) and his uncle (Ben Affleck), as they bond at a bar overflowing with colorful patrons. The film also stars Lily Rabe, Ron Livingston, Christopher Lloyd, Max Martini, Briana Middleton, Max Casella. Daniel Ranieri plays the young J.R.