George Clooney’s latest directorial effort, The Tender Bar, serves up 2 shots of charming and 1 shot of ordinary. That is to say, this true-to-life tale isn’t always as captivating as the filmmakers probably think it is. Luckily, the charismatic cast (mostly) makes up for it. The biggest issue with the story at hand is we’ve seen it many times before – just with different people in a different part of America (Hillbilly Elegy anyone?). Don’t get me wrong, these types of “overcoming a challenging upbringing and achieving big dreams” flicks can be very inspirational. And, well, The Tender Bar is certainly no different. It just gets bogged down in its over-sentimentality along the way. The aforementioned cast is the true highlight here, as everyone from Tye Sheridan to Christopher Lloyd bring forth truly enjoyable turns. There’s a wacky family dynamic going on, and these actors are very much up for the task. Ben Affleck’s “Uncle Charlie” is especially great, with the actor having no trouble tapping into the outspoken character’s “rugged with a big heart” mentality. It’s genuinely really sweet at times with the charm effortlessly cranked up high. That warmth also carries through to the movie’s look. We start in the 70s and head to the 80s with plenty of delightful nostalgia on display. Props to the production team! So, while it’s not going to be the coming-of-age movie to end all coming-of-age movies, Clooney’s The Tender Bar still makes for an enjoyable “Happy Hour.”