Suburban shopping mall parking lots are magical places. The film begins like a home invasion thriller as a young guy attempts to break into a house. 'Ben Is Back' | Anatomy of a Scene By Mekado Murphy December 7, 2018 Peter Hedges narrates a scene from his film featuring Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts. If anyone can solve Bens problems can bring Ben back to the sweet, smart, decent boy he used to be its surely his mom. As they're returning home to finish Christmas Eve prep, there's an unexpected guest on the doorstep . At the restaurant, Ben meets his old buddy Spencer, who now goes by the name of Spider. Like her, I found myself constantly scanning Bens face: is he using again? Theres this dangerous something coursing through him. The film is actually most interesting to watch Hollys moral compass shift in any direction to help her son especially when she justifies his bad behavior to help him process his past actions. Holly uses the kit and desperately tries to revive him, while sobbing for him to "come back" to her. Holly sees Ben standing on the porch on her way back from the church with children Liam, Lacey, and Ivy. Be aware that while we do our best to avoid spoilers it is impossible to disguise all details and some may reveal crucial plot elements. It is hard to believe anything Ben says when he arrives or opens his mouth. Meanwhile, Ben has relapsed into drugs, and Dolly has to decide whether to part with Ben. For the time, Ben only wants the dog back. Ben takes note that there are no burglars, but at the same time, Ponce is missing. See ratings & reviews at Critics.com. That is both a blessing and a curse. And then he reminds her, no, she didnt check everything. [14], Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Awards, "Making of 'Ben Is Back': How Director Peter Hedges Convinced His Reluctant Son Lucas to Star", "Julia Roberts And Lucas Hedges Team For Black Bear & 30WEST-Backed 'Ben Is Back', "Courtney B. Vance Joins Julia Roberts & Lucas Hedges In 'Ben Is Back', Julia Roberts project, filmed in Rockland, gets positive reviews, "Julia Roberts Drama 'Ben Is Back' Acquired By LD Entertainment, Lionsgate & Roadside", "Toronto: Timothee Chalamet Starrer 'Beautiful Boy,' Dan Fogelman's 'Life Itself' Among Festival Lineup", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben_Is_Back&oldid=1132753122, Best Performance by an Actor 23 and Under, David Zaldivar as Spencer "Spider" Webbs, a drug addict and one of Ben's old friends, Jack Davidson as Dr. Crane, husband of Alzheimer female, Mia Fowler as Lacey Burns-Beeby, Holly and Neal's 10-year-old daughter and Ben and Ivy's little half-sister, Jakari Fraser as Liam Burns-Beeby, Holly and Neal's 6-year-old son and Ben and Ivy's little half-brother, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 11:23. They start in very different places from where they end up. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Gary M . And then watching how she can, on a dime, flip from the happy mom to panicked mom and fierce mom Where did you get this? The crew filmed in North Little Tor Road and along the South Mountain Roads in the suburbs of New City. Unlike the MPAA we do not assign one inscrutable rating based on age but 3 objective ratings for SEX/NUDITY, VIOLENCE/GORE & LANGUAGE on a scale of 0 to 10, from lowest to highest depending on quantity & context |more|, Print a page, share with friends, and yes, please go ahead and email links. The film eventually goes off in thriller-like direction with Ben and Holly searching for the family dog, which has been stolen by one of Bens former associates to whom he owes a debt. He wisely lets his actors act, giving them space to indicate so much in just a meaningful look. But she think she is. See production, box office & company info, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Julia Roberts/Patrick Wilson. After pressure from her husband, she insists she will stick to Ben for the next 24 hours. She may be too deep in her own suffering, and the film may be too absorbed in her feelings, to grasp that fully. Meanwhile, Holly goes to Maggie's mom for help, who gives her a med kit for reviving a person who has suffered an overdose and her car keys to go find Ben. Ben's mother, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. (But were still going to focus on the sad rich, straight, young white guys.). (3,433) 6.7 1 h 43 min 2018 X-Ray HDR UHD R. Julia Roberts delivers a riveting performance as a mother swept into a race against time after her troubled 19-year-old son (Lucas Hedges) returns home for Christmasand suddenly disappears. And I never fully buy into its truth some of the big emotional outbursts fall flat. A young man says, "The last time I didn't help someone, they died." Shortly after Neal and Holly argue over Ben's arrival, there's a scene focusing on Ben's interaction with his young siblings. Yesterday I watched "Ben is Back" a recently released feature film about a heroin-addicted young man (Lucas Hedges) and his heroic and tenacious mother (Julia Roberts) who tries her best to keep him "clean.". All rights reserved. His survivors guilt never feels as palpable as her mothers (Rachel Bay Jones) grief. You can learn to parallel park there, you can make out with your high school boyfriend . Peter Hedges, whose previous features as a director are Pieces of April, Dan in Real Life and The Odd Life of Timothy Green, keeps his sentimental tendencies on ice here. And thats especially clear when he runs into people from his past. By the time Ben and Holly are locked in a pieta-style tableau, with light shining from behind and above them, Ben Is Back has truly hit bottom. Disturbing video footage captured two boys fighting at a New Jersey mall on February 13 Bridgewater police arrived, and while one cop pulled the light-skinned boy away, the other tackled the. The production unit lensed several exterior scenes along Lake Avenue and Nepperhan Avenue, Central Park Avenue, and Mildred Street. A measure of privilege is baked into this assumption, and Ben Is Back is partly about the way the current scourge of opioid and heroin addiction has contributed to the demoralization of the American middle class. Add to Cart . Menu. Hedgess film may speak truths about issues of addiction and recovery, and the hell that addicts put their families through, but it cudgels viewers by having the characters talk about rigorous honesty" and truth as they obviously and ironically lie and connive. And a scene between the two mothers is painful, but in a manipulative, not heartbreaking way. SPOILERS AHEAD. Lucas as Ben has this rich inner life at the beginning of the scene. After mall PDA, AJ Raval insists Aljur Abrenica just . When Ben heads out on foot to locate Ponce, Dolly thinks it is good to go with Ben. Review: 'Ben Is Back' Takes A Wrong Turn Along The Way The first half is a tense, painfully real family drama about the lingering toll of opioid addiction; the second half lurches into thriller . Will he be dead on the floor with a needle sticking out of his arm? Ben is Back or is he? Ultimately, Roberts just seems miscast. Check out the new movie clip for Ben Is Back starring Lucas Hedges! We are a totally independent website with no connections to political, religious or other groups & we neither solicit nor choose advertisers. Now, with Ben is Back, director Peter Hedges has created something a little bit different: a half-and-half movie with plenty of standard-issue addiction drama courtesy of Julia Roberts as a suburban mum trying to keep her 19-year-old son off opioids at Christmas. Ben is back! Technically, the film is a two-hander. But once again, Roberts gives a gripping performance as a mother coming to new realizations about the child she thought she finally understood. Helmed by Peter Hedges, the 2018 drama Ben Is Back is a refreshing and nuanced addiction movie about drugs and how they affect society. As for whether there are sparks between Rodriguez and Shookus, a representative for the baseball star told Page Six "there is absolutely zero there," adding: "They've been friends for 15 years." Ben Is Back also traverses the same territory as the recent, better drama, Beautiful Boy, about a young mans addiction and the impact it had on his father and family. Theyve just come from a 12-step meeting. After Bens return, the situation at home is tense, although Dolly especially has faith in Ben. Ben assures his mother that his sponsor had OK'd his return. Ivy, however, is rightly suspicious of this prodigal son, and says Holly is trying too hard. His sister and stepfather are, however, deeply. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2018, and was theatrically released on December 7, 2018, by LD Entertainment, Roadside Attractions, and Lionsgate. for language throughout and some drug use. Become a member of our premium site for just $2/month & access advance reviews, without any ads, not a single one, ever. People and institutions doctors, police officers and pharmacists, as well as her kids are supposed to listen, and to accede to her wishes. The maternal side of Holly tells Ivy and Ben that he may stay for Christmas before going back to rehab, but-. Furthermore, the crew filmed scenes in Larchmont, an affluent village situated along the Mamaroneck River. he locks himself in a mall fitting room. Ben soon makes eye contact with a man who is presumably linked to his drug-dealing. The website's critics consensus reads, "Refreshingly understated, Ben Is Back subverts family drama stereotypes - and provides a forum for terrific performances from Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts. She seems like a woman accustomed to getting her way, not because she is complacent or overly entitled but because she expects the world to recognize the moral authority of motherhood. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother's undying love for her son is tested as she does everything in her power to keep him safe. . The rest of Ben Is Back, written and directed by Peter Hedges (father of Lucas), sustains and intensifies that clammy, anxious feeling. Let us get to the ending. She tracks down Spencer, giving him drugs she had confiscated from Ben earlier, in exchange for him telling her where he might be. Ben plays noisily with his half-siblings but too noisily an edge of anxious . But Ben leaves with Dollys car, which gets Dolly worried. Ben Is Back is a film about addiction-what it's like to be a recovering addict, and what it's like to love one. and Ben's already shaky confidence takes a major hit. I dont think Ben is Back hangs together perfectly but there were times I forgot to breathe for a second or three. And she thinks shes covered all the tracks. But hes also apprehensive about going into certain rooms in the houselike the attic, where he used to stash his drugsfor fear of the memories theyll conjure. Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. (Particularly so soon after another film about a privileged young addict Beautiful Boy.) And you will be helping support our website & our efforts. The film highlights many shades of Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges central roles, Holly and Ben. - About 31 F-words and its derivatives, 22 scatological terms (1 mild), 3 anatomical terms, 2 mild obscenities, name-calling (liar, phony, stupid, junkie, drug addict), exclamations (shut-up, freaking out), 4 religious profanities, 19 religious exclamations (e.g. Vance, as the skeptical stepdad, takes a thinly-written role and makes it meatier. All Ben Is Back Videos. The constant push-pull between Hedges and Roberts, the see-saw of the power dynamic as each tries to navigate this thorny situation, is the most compelling element of Ben Is Back. All the demons are still there, all the memories and the things Ben cant remember. Subscribe to the channel and click the bell icon to stay up to date.US Release Date: December 7, 2018Starring: Julia Roberts, Lucas HedgesDirected By: Peter Hedges Synopsis: Follows the charming yet troubled Ben Burns (Hedges), who returns home to his unsuspecting family one fateful Christmas Eve. Was Ben Is Back, about an addicts unexpected return home, meant to be a holiday hate-watch? His Mother Holly is ecstatic, as are his young step-siblings. Im Peter Hedges, writer and director of Ben Is Back. Ben Burns, played by Lucas Hedges, comes home unexpectedly on Christmas Eve Day. I never fully buy into its truth but this is one of those rare Hollywood movies that keeps you guessing. The filmmaker previously made the enjoyable and piquant holiday-themed comedy-drama, Pieces of April, about a dysfunctional family at Thanksgiving. It is as if he has come home from prep school, not rehab. But shes not paying full attention. There is a scene where Julia Roberts' car breaks down. And hes with his mother Holly, played by Julia Roberts. [12], According to the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 81% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 221 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. However, Neal and Ivy think differently Neal, since he has paid for Bens rehab sessions, and Ivy, since as Bens biological sister, Ivy has seen Ben since childhood. At other times she wonders if her sons addiction is her fault. Director Peter Hedges Writer Peter Hedges Stars Julia Roberts Lucas Hedges Courtney B. Vance See production, box office & company info Watch on HBO Max with subscription More watch options Add to Watchlist 145 User reviews 162 Critic reviews 66 Metascore Awards Later, Ben and Dolly head to a community session, and Ben meets another addict who used to score from him. Story of 19-year-old Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges), a young man with substance abuse issues who unexpectedly returns to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve morning. This is especially true regarding a subplot about a young woman who died as a result of Ben getting her hooked on drugs. And she thinks shes covered all the tracks. They are the main couple of the film series.They first meet each other at the beginning of Descendants and they later started dating and became a couple. Her son tries to start it but is unsuccessful. His disease is acting through him, as if he were possessed by a demon that is also his double. Hi. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, 14th Annual African American Film Critics Association Awards Recipients Revealed, Child of Graceland: Lisa Marie Presley (1968-2023), FOXs Accused Is An Emotionally Manipulative Void. And the later scenes reveal that Ben has taken the drug nonetheless. In the end, the family home is broken into (not by Ben). A young man is agitated when he goes into his attic and says that he used to hide his drug stash there. 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