MCM: Ben Affleck – Frock Flicks

Ben Affleck Man Candy Monday

I’ve been aware of Ben Affleck since his days on the PBS kid’s program The Voyage of the Mimi, so it’s always felt like he’s been a ubiquitous presence in my life since childhood to such an extent that I don’t even really notice him anymore. He’s just always been there. But recently, I decided to see what he has to offer in the way of historical roles and turns out there’s been a few over the decades!

School Ties (1992)

Ben Affleck in School Ties (1992) — A film notable for it’s ensemble cast of early 1990s up-and-comers (including Affleck’s BFF and future writing partner, Matt Damon), set at an exclusive boy’s school in the 1950s.

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Ben Affleck in Dazed and Confused (1993) — Set on the last day of school in 1976, this film follows several different groups of teenagers in various cliques and groups. Ben Affleck plays Fred, a sadistic senior who hazes the incoming freshmen.

Going All the Way (1997)

Ben Affleck in Going All the Way (1997) — Two Korean War vets move back to the Midwest and try to navigate life and love after their discharge from the army. Also stars Rachel Weisz in some fantastic 1950s outfits.

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Shakespeare in Love (1998) — Ben Affleck sort of plays a tongue-in-cheek version of himself in the role of Ned Alleyn, one of the biggest stars on the Elizabethan stage.

200 Cigarettes (1999)

Ben Affleck in 200 Cigarettes (1999) — Set on New Years Eve 1981, this film is definitely beyond our standard cut-off date, but it’s a fun romp. Ben Affleck plays “the Bartender” in one of the vignettes.

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor (2001) — Michael Bay’s historical offering starring Ben Affleck as US Army combat pilot Captain Rafe McCawley. It was big, bombastic, and completely bombed with the critics, despite being the 6th highest grossing film of 2001.

Hollywoodland (2006)

Ben Affleck in Hollywoodland (2006) — A fictionalized telling of the story surrounding George Reeve’s death and a private eye (played by Adrien Brody) who begins investigating whether his death was the result of foul play. Affleck plays Reeves, whose life following his supposed break-out role in Gone With the Wind doesn’t quite pan out the way he had expected. Despite success as Superman, Reeves continues to feel trapped and increasingly resentful of how his career has stalled and ultimately takes his own life. The film manages to avoid being a bummer through the ending with Brody’s character who uses Reeves’ story to motivate himself to make changes in his own life to avoid the same spiral into anger and depression.

Argo (2012)

Ben Affleck in Argo (2012) — An excellent film that was produced and directed by Ben Affleck, who also stars as the lead character, based on the true story of an absolutely bonkers CIA plot to rescue hostages at the U.S. consulate in Tehran during the Iran Hostage Crisis by posing as a film crew on their way to film a sci-fi flick. It garnered Affleck the Best Picture Oscar for that year’s Academy Awards. If you haven’t seen it, treat yourself to a watch.

Live by Night (2016)

Ben Affleck in Live by Night (2016) — Another produced/directed/starring role for Ben Affleck. Live by Night is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane and follows Joe Coughlin, an ambitious World War I vet who works his way into becoming a notorious gangster in 1930s Tampa. The film features some great outfits on both the male and female characters.

The Last Duel (2021)

Ben Affleck in The Last Duel (2021) — This film will always frustrate me, because there were some genuinely good costumes in it, along with the fact that the actual history behind what occurred is SUPER interesting, but Ridley Scott then went in and gave us dumb half-helmets and pissed off every reenactor and medievalist in the process. Ben Affleck’s character, Count Pierre d’Alençon, has some fabulous outfits, though.

The Tender Bar (2021)

Ben Affleck in The Tender Bar (2021) — Based on J. R. Moehringer’s 2005 memoir of growing up on Long Island, the film is set in the 1970s through the 1980s. Ben Affleck plays the author’s uncle, a self-taught bartender who takes young J.R. under his wing and encourages his love of language and writing.

Air (2023)

Ben Affleck in Air (2023) — Sadly, this film is far past our usual 1969 cut-off date, but I really enjoyed it, so it gets a mention here since technically it’s historical and happened over 40 years ago. The film tells the story of creating one of the biggest, most lucrative brand partnerships of all time between a shoe company and an athlete — the origin of the Nike Air Jordans. It was directed by Ben Affleck, who also plays Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike.

What’s your favorite Ben Affleck role in a historical film? Tell us in the comments!

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Tags: 1930s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s adapted from books Ben Affleck inspired by a true story murder mystery Pearl Harbor (2001) playing fast & loose with history Shakespeare Shakespeare in Love (1998) The Last Duel (2021) World War I World War II

2 thoughts on “MCM: Ben Affleck”

Boxermom says:

July 6, 2026 at 6:38 am

I loved Air! That’s funny, I didn’t know that he directed it. :)

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ED says:

July 6, 2026 at 10:27 am

If I had a penny for every time Mr Ben Affleck has been the most delightfully hammy contributor to a Period Drama I’d only have two pennies, but goodness me IT HAPPENED TWICE!

I say that if HBO ever needs an Aegon the Unworthy, they really need to give him a call (Also, I remain curious about what a Ben Affleck-directed Batman film would look like).

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