Blake Lively was 22 years old when she starred alongside Ben Affleck in the acclaimed 2010 film The Town, which currently boasts a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score. The Town was filmed between August 2009 to December 2009, with Lively’s birthday falling on August 25.
Ben Affleck has cemented himself as an acclaimed director and actor, bringing out strong dramatic performances from his cast, including himself.
The Town Contributed to Blake Lively’s Leap Into Serious Hollywood Roles
Blake Lively’s role in The Town marked a pivotal shift in her career, helping her transition from teen television star to a respected dramatic actress in Hollywood. Before the Affleck flick, Lively was known as the star Serena van der Woodsen of Gossip Girl. Here are all the roles she played before The Town.
Most of her career before The Town was a mix of teen dramas, comedies, and indie films. In The Town, Lively played Krista Coughlin, a drug-addicted single mother in Boston’s criminal underworld. Her performance drew praise from fans and critics alike, with many finding her almost unrecognisable in such a serious role.
Blake Lively in The Town pic.twitter.com/JtpMo3dW3n
The success of The Town pushed her Hollywood career further, landing her star roles in films like The Age of Adaline, Savages, and The Shallows.
The Town Remains One Of Ben Affleck’s Best Movies
Ben Affleck’s The Town was critically acclaimed and even received an Academy Award Nomination for Jeremy Renner. The Town’s Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus states:
Tense, smartly written, and wonderfully cast, The Town proves that Ben Affleck has rediscovered his muse — and that he’s a director to be reckoned with.
The Town was a major box office hit, grossing $154 million worldwide (via BoxOfficeMojo), and is still referenced as one of the defining modern crime thrillers starring and directed by Ben Affleck.
For the 12th year in a row, the Boston Society of Film Critics has given Best Picture to Ben Affleck's The Town pic.twitter.com/RUoiwt1t3S
The Town has slowly morphed into my favorite Boston film ever. The Departed & Good Will Hunting are also fighting for the top spot here, but The Town is so raw & so uniquely Boston, I find myself loving this movie more & more with every rewatch. Ben Affleck can fucking direct. pic.twitter.com/eHD4pvBLfw
The Town remains one of Ben Affleck’s greatest and most influential films, with a nice gritty tone and ensemble cast, resulting in Affleck among the top filmmaker-actors of his generation.
The Town is available to rent or buy on Apple TV+ and Amazon.
