In a Variety interview, Ben Affleck said "I think the world is a tough and ugly place, particularly now, so I feel good injecting this movie onto the world."
The bowling scene shows a version of bowling called candlepin bowling, which was more popular in the eastern United States -- specifically, the northeast United States, like New England. Candlepin bowling alleys aren't found in the middle and Southeast United States.
Ben Affleck was so enamored with the script and the part of Uncle Charlie that he initially offered to do it for free.
The film is an adaptation of the 2005 memoir of the same name by J.R. Moehringer, and recounts Moehringer's life growing up on Long Island.
The six-page car scene between child actor Daniel Ranieri and Max Martini, playing his absent father, was shot and nailed in one take.