"Ben Is Back" hands down is the most emotional movie of the year. But even a scene set the safe space of a 12-step meeting, where Ben cracks jokes and tries to earn sympathy,comes off as disingenuous. At the same time, a monologue Hedges delivers when Ben shares at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting is a powerful example of this young actors range, from swagger to introspection and, ultimately, regret. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from the Big Issue and our partners. Later, Ben and Dolly head to a community session, and Ben meets another addict who used to score from him. 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 . The storyline revolves around Ben Burns, an athlete dealing with opioid addiction. He uses the same outline here: theres a screw-up title character (Lucas Hedges, the directors son) with a suffering/domineering mother named Holly (Julia Roberts), an insufferably perfect sister named Ivy (Katherine Newton) as well as a benign-ish father (Courtney B. Vance) all hoping Ben doesnt spoil everything as he always does. During the 24 hours that may change their lives forever, Holly must do everything in her power to avoid the family's downfall.Watch More: Coming Soon to Theaters: http://bit.ly/2mkFBqr Movie Clips: http://bit.ly/2FrP8VL Movie Trailers: http://bit.ly/2GlOAkMFuel Your Movie Obsession: Subscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/2CMX5D1 Watch Movieclips ORIGINALS: http://bit.ly/2D3sipV Like us on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2DikvkY Follow us on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/2mgkaHb Follow us on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2mg0VNUThe Fandango MOVIECLIPS COMING SOON channel is home to all the movie clips, trailers, behind the scenes videos, and more from the best upcoming movies. Prices of energy and food are rising rapidly. How much should my pay rise to beat inflation? Shes thrilled and terrified, and the brilliantly expressive Roberts makes both of those sensations visible simultaneously. Become a member of our premium site for just $2/month & access advance reviews, without any ads, not a single one, ever. Technically, the film is a two-hander. But part of her terror and ours, on her behalf comes from the sense that she is radically and brutally alone, and that the hundreds of thousands of parents in her situation are too. Ive been with you the whole time. Excuse me! The girl at the meeting. And Ben going from cocky and confident to reduced and regressing in age and fearful and apologetic You think Im an idiot. All right. Theyve just come from a 12-step meeting. Ben assures his mother that his sponsor had OK'd his return. As they're returning home to finish Christmas Eve prep, there's an unexpected guest on the doorstep . And thats especially clear when he runs into people from his past. [8] Filming began on December 5, with Courtney B. Vance joining the cast as Ben's stepfather. Bens much younger half-siblings (Mia Fowler and Jakari Fraser) and the family dog, for their part, adore him unreservedly. But the performances remain uniformly strong and hold the story together, even as it threatens to spin out of control. 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. Later still, Dolly and Ben go garment shopping, and seeing Ben in possession of the drug, the guards throw them out of the mall. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. But shes not paying full attention. Ben is Back. Lopez, who turned 52 on Saturday, posted the steamy picture as part of a series of photos in which she donned a printed string bikini, marking her birthday. The journey of Ben and Dolly to find the family canine, Ponce, begins at the house of Mr. Richmond, the history teacher. Advertisement: "Ben Is Back" shifts into gear once mom and son leave the house for a trip to the. Ben Is Back has been added to your Cart . 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. You can help us keep our independence with a donation. Happy to see him but Holly is also wary, as she does not want his instability to affect the other children. He also keeps Ben and Hollys ordeal safely within the boundaries of convention, focusing on the particulars of one familys pain. (Particularly so soon after another film about a privileged young addict Beautiful Boy.) Ben's mom, Holly (Julia Roberts), is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. It enlivens a moralizing tough-love scene, as when Holly takes her son to a cemetery and asks him to pick out a burial site because he will soon be dead if he doesnt change. See also There is a didactic scene of Holly talking frankly to the doctor who got her son hooked on drugs, as if to excuse parental responsibility. So begins a long night of the soul as mother and son drive around Bens old stomping grounds. The film highlights many shades of Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges' central roles, Holly and Ben. She knows that Ben is in another town, but Dolly lies that they split up to cover more ground. And then theres Julia Roberts. She may be too deep in her own suffering, and the film may be too absorbed in her feelings, to grasp that fully. While Dolly finds the cell phone, there is no whereabouts of Ben. Theyve just come from a 12-step meeting. And then she checks him because she has concerns. A young man twitches and complains of being sick as he pleads for money so he can buy drugs. At the mall another kid cheerfully greets him with Dude, I thought you were dead. At church he sees the mother of a girl who overdosed after he got her hooked. But their journey is neither as harrowing nor as emotionally draining as the filmmaker thinks it is. As she follows Ben through an increasingly harrowing day and night, Holly gets a tour of an underworld that exists in the shadows of her sunny, stable reality. A young man talks about having an arrangement with his history teacher for drugs (possible sexual activity is implied). On the other hand, Ford Wheeler, the set decorator of Stranger Than Fiction fame, took up the role of production designer in the movie. He slips meaningful little asides into out-of-the-way places. SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- More than 10 months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine. He claims his sponsor thought it was a good idea for him to return home, to show how good Im doing. He then recounts a story of farts in a car that Holly thinks is hilarious. There is also an ominous image of a character who will figure heavily in the story later, especially as mother and son go to some disturbing places seeking catharsis. Ben was written and directed by Peter Hedges and it's clear it was crafted for his son, who stars as the titular troubled young man. Ben Is Back Ending, Explained: Is Ben Dead or Alive. We see snippets of a sleepy town, zooming into a Christmas choir. Holly finds drugs on Ben and he claims a girl at the meeting gave them to him. Holly Burns returns from church on Christmas Eve to find her son Ben in the driveway; he has been in rehab for prescription drug addiction for some months, and says his sponsor said a trip home would be good for him. Vance, as the skeptical stepdad, takes a thinly-written role and makes it meatier. Regardless, Hedges plants all kinds of details that are meant to pay off later but fail to deliver any real impact. Let us get to the ending. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. This time will be different. Does Ben relapse? . "Bennifer" is officially back! Her tics and her smile are overly familiar, but her performance does work when she is being empathetic. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed and a mother's undying love . And I never fully buy into its truth some of the big emotional outbursts fall flat. In Wicked World, the two are shown to flirt, with Mal often complimenting on how cute Ben is and being impressed when he . Bens a charmer and a talkerhell burst into a silly song to amuse the little onesand its clear that hes trying strenuously, as well, to make his return a happy one. Should they believe him? The MPAA rating has been assigned for language throughout and some drug use. The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a physical altercation that ends with a punch in the face, references to sex in exchange for drugs, opioid addiction and its effects on family and loved ones, discussions of the death of people addicted to opioids and rehab, and over 30 F-words. "ben is back" is filled with harshly poignant scenes, e.g., when holly goes cold at the very sight of the doctor who prescribed heavy doses of painkillers for ben when her son was 14, or when holly has a harrowing encounter with a childhood friend of ben's who has been ravaged by addiction and cries out, "i changed your diapers," and wonders how Ive been with you the whole time. Excuse me! The girl at the meeting. And Ben going from cocky and confident to reduced and regressing in age and fearful and apologetic You think Im an idiot. All right. The project was announced in October 2017, with Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts set to star. Its been a long time. The next scene they're at a gas station with no explanation as to how they got the broken down vehicle there. Its here that the film starts leaking suspense. 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.But other scenes are directed with the pure . Anyone can read what you share. Upon the arrival she is first shocked and then overjoyed to see her. Hedges direction is efficient and understated in these scenes. If you feel like encountering Bens outcome, let us give it a try. That evening, the family returns home from church to find that someone has broken into their home and taken Ponce. Telling her she does not know the real "him," Ben reveals that his sponsor told him not to return home and that he did not get the drugs Holly found from a girl at the support group but rather hidden in the attic above his younger siblings' bedroom. Hi. Christian Grey is a man with physical boundaries. The film begins when 19-year-old Ben Burns reappears in his house in Yonkers, New York, just in time for Christmas. '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. Ben plays noisily with his half-siblings but too noisily an edge of anxious . Ben completes the mission and gets Ponce back, but Clayton also gives him some drugs in return. Scott Dec. 5, 2018 When the title character shows up early in "Ben Is Back" just before Christmas, at his. Melissa McCarthy Says 'Bridesmaids' Originally Had a Strip . Holly exudes the tough, elegant self-confidence that has long been part of the Julia Roberts brand. 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 Look how his skin glows. The moments between Ben and Holly talking in the kitchen or tackling crowds at the mall during some last-minute shopping are the films strongest. Lucas as Ben has this rich inner life at the beginning of the scene. And a scene between the two mothers is painful, but in a manipulative, not heartbreaking way. Ben is Backs troubled white guy plot may be wearing thin but the addiction drama has moments of brilliance, says Cath Clarke. the Oscars deepest and most dynamic race. Hollywood films about addiction tend to be tasteful, well-meaning awardsy dramas. Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump has been retained by the family of Z'Kye Husain, a Black eight-grader who was forcefully detained by Bridgewater Township police officers after a physical. Ben Is Back is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Peter Hedges, and starring Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges and Courtney B. Vance. The best thing that can be said about this film is that Hedges isnt going for warm and fuzzy feelings. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Hollys parental crisis is also a social crisis. Later at night, with little luck finding Ponce, Dolly and Ben try to reach a moment of clarity at a diner. A woman tells another woman, "You can't help them. Consequently, they set up a base at the village center and scanned the neighborhood. The young actor seems to have cornered the market on playing troubled youth, but it is hard to care about his character because Hedges has no range. A young man says that he got a young woman hooked and we understand that she is dead. It is almost laughable to watch Julia Roberts wandering around a site full of addicts on a dark winter night searching for her child. He is entirely credible as an almost-grown man whose credibility has virtually collapsed, who is in a constant state of war with himself. 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. 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. Not added . She agrees lets him stay for 24 hours only if he does not leave her sight. Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated, Special, Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review. The Fabelmans, Babylon, Empire of Light: Why the spate of love letters to cinema? Ben sees his childhood friend, Spencer, also a drug addict. You can learn to parallel park there, you can make out with your high school boyfriend . We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits. Ben is in recovery from heroin addiction. Looks like shes gonna have you try on the whole store. I love what both actors are bringing to this scene. But thats what Holly (and Hedges) does. "Ben Is Back" takes place in snowy, idyllic, small-town New York, and Ben comes from a family of comfort and means. Furious, she takes him to the cemetery, asking him where he would like to be buried. He then says we need gas. But then in the second half of Ben Is Back, it becomes a different kind of movie: a low-key thriller in which Ben and Holly are forced to run around town, revisiting his misdeeds in search of clues to a mystery. 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. New & Used (35) from $3.78 + $3.99 shipping. And then he reminds her, no, she didnt check everything. Meanwhile, shes trying to keep all the plates spinning for the rest of the family on this day of great expectations. The crew filmed in North Little Tor Road and along the South Mountain Roads in the suburbs of New City. They end up at the home of Maggies father Bens ex-girlfriend, who died from a presumed drug overdose. Ben (Lucas Hedges) has no father and has turned to overdependence on prescription medication. US Release Date: December 7, 2018 Starring: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges Directed By: Peter Hedges Synopsis: Follows the charming yet troubled Ben Burns (Hedges), who returns home to his. The scale and depth of the horror are beyond anything she had imagined. Holly has two kids with her second husband (Courtney B. Vance) in addition to Ben and his younger sister, Ivy (Kathryn Newton), from her first. After mall PDA, AJ Raval insists Aljur Abrenica just . Parents need to know that Ben Is Back is a drama that centers on the United States' opioid epidemic. Hedges is as excellent as he was in "Manchester By the Sea," but it's fair to say the movie belongs to Roberts. Ben is Back: Teaser Trailer 1 0:55 Added: August 24, 2018. Ben is Back review - Julia Roberts can't save middling addiction drama Strong performances from the Oscar winner and Lucas Hedges enliven a patchy film about a mother dealing with the return of. 1. An important filming location is Harriman State Park. Writer-director Peter Hedges depicts this phenomenon with intimacy and empathy in Ben Is Back, about a teenage opioid addict who leaves rehab for 24 hourssupposedly with the encouragement of his sponsorto visit his family on Christmas Eve. When Holly loses Ben, she searches for him not unlike George C. Scott in Hardcore going into the seedy world of pornography to find his lost daughter. business Retail. Shes taken him Christmas shopping so hell have appropriate clothes to wear at church that night. If the thought has indeed crossed your mind, allow us to enlighten you. That is both a blessing and a curse. The film opens as he returns from his stint at rehab on Christmas Eve. After a few minutes, Ben takes a breath. When Neal calls Dolly, Ben is still out of sight. Alan Scherstuhl December 17, 2018 6:00AM In Ben Is Back, Julia Roberts (left) stars as Holly Burns, an ordinary woman struggling with the return of her teenage son (played by Lucas Hedges). While Beths suspicion conditions the audience, Dolly gives saving Ben one last shot. In a fast food joint she bumps into the familys old doctor, now retired, who first prescribed Ben painkilling pills aged 14 after a minor snowboarding accident. The spacious house is bustling with excitement and preparations for the kids performances at Christmas Eve mass. While maintaining the unity of action and time, the movie also features a lot of outdoor locations. Symmetry opens the film. Add to Cart . Meanwhile, Ben has relapsed into drugs, and Dolly has to decide whether to part with Ben. Nevertheless, she hides the pills and jewelry, because they are triggers and temptations. 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 has been in rehab since he nearly died after becoming hooked on painkillers resulting from a sports injury, a habit that eventually led to him selling drugs to young people in the neighborhood, incidents that neither Ben, the drug dealers, or the victim's and their families will ever forget. The disease of addiction can afflict anyone, anywhere, Hedges reminds us, just as Beautiful Boy did earlier this year. Ben and Holly talk and talk trying to gain understanding of the situation. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Shes taken him Christmas shopping so hell have appropriate clothes to wear at church that night. Located at 129 Ramapo Road, the affordable diner attracts local crowds through its sheer cooking prowess and an uncomplicated menu. As per sources, a few scenes were even lensed at a property on Johnsontown Road, simply known as The Farm. The movie takes place over one day and a long night, so there's more discussed about Ben's history of drug use than actually seen. All of which leaves Bens mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), in an agonizing position. 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. As a young man and his mother drive past houses, he points a house where he "used," and one that he robbed. Holly has two kids with her second husband ( Courtney B. Vance) in addition to Ben and his younger sister, Ivy ( Kathryn Newton ), from her first. Image Credit: Mark Schafer/BBP West BIB, LLC, Ben Burns, an athlete dealing with opioid addiction. What Hedges wants to do here is make you feel the dread and nausea of a parent living with a teenage addict the prickle of fear walking into his bedroom. From Spider, Dolly knows about the hideout in exchange for the drugs Dolly retrieved from Ben at the shopping mall. The storyline revolves around Ben Burns, an athlete dealing with opioid addiction. How can he live with what hes done? Ben Burns: I love five people and Ponce is two of them. We see a photo of a woman wearing a camisole that reveals cleavage. The production unit lensed several exterior scenes along Lake Avenue and Nepperhan Avenue, Central Park Avenue, and Mildred Street. Clayton, a local gang leader for whom Ben worked, sent men to break into the Burns residence. There is a scene where Julia Roberts' car breaks down. Ben Is Back ends on a note of vague hope, but its a reminder that Christmas Day is just one more opportunity to take it one day at a time. 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. And the later scenes reveal that Ben has taken the drug nonetheless. 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. The film received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Hedges and Roberts, but grossed just $12 million against its $13 million budget. Filming took place in the Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club, a country club located at 555 South Barry Avenue at the mouth of the Mamaroneck River. His mother Holly (Roberts) beams as only Julia Roberts can beam, full megawatt dazzle delighted to see him. 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. Ben is back! With the bathroom door opened- despite his protest. But other scenes are directed with the pure suspense of a thriller. Ivy, however, is rightly suspicious of this prodigal son, and says Holly is trying too hard. $12.49 FREE Shipping Get free shipping Free shipping within the U.S. when you order $25.00 of eligible items shipped by Amazon. Shes always worried. In fulfilling the assignment, Clayton offers Ben a pouch of the drug to reward Bens service in the smuggling operation. In the nocturnal adventure, Ben visits the places of guilt to find a resolution for the present discontent. Her expression is not one of disgust, or shame, or fear; she looks like shes shopping for an outfit and doesnt like what she sees. 19-year-old Ben Burns unexpectedly returns home to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve morning.
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