Lucas Hedges, like Timothe Chalamet in Beautiful Boy, the seasons other alliteratively titled tale of a young man fighting a drug habit, deftly captures the nuances of this condition. 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. Reports suggested that a few sequences in the film may have been lensed along Beach Avenue and Linden Avenue as well. Therefore, the chances are that the guy who read the note called Dolly to inform Ponces location. 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 sees his childhood friend, Spencer, also a drug addict. Some filming also took place in New City, a hamlet in the Clarkstown municipality. It is all calculated emotional button-pushing. Dolly gets nervous, and Neals worries trouble her more since she wants to give Ben a chance. They start in very different places from where they end up. As a young man and his mother drive past houses, he points a house where he "used," and one that he robbed. 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. "Ben Is Back" hands down is the most emotional movie of the year. Although Maggies father smashes the windowpane of Dollys car out of vengeance, he seemingly has not abducted Ponce. Spencer shows up and, after a tussle, he confirms that Clayton, a drug dealer he used to work for, took Ponce. Vendors are amongst the most vulnerable people affected. Nevertheless, she hides the pills and jewelry, because they are triggers and temptations. A young man smokes from a vaping device in a few scenes (outside and in a car). While the director meant to keep the finale subtle, we conclude that Ben is alive. "One of the 50 Coolest Websitesthey simply tell it like it is" - TIME, The current economic climate has reduced our revenues. But Ben leaves with Dollys car, which gets Dolly worried. She agrees lets him stay for 24 hours only if he does not leave her sight. While holiday shopping at the mall, Holly runs into Ben's former doctor, now an old man with dementia. The film suggests that drugs do not have to be illegal and sensational, like cocaine and LSD, but they are pretty mundane in a broken, contemporary world. Ben Is Back Review: A Mother and Son Face the Horrors of Addiction, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/movies/ben-is-back-review.html. tipsy bartender emma break up; asl sign for coast guard While there, she receives a call from a man who found Ponce, driving out to retrieve him. Ben, unexpectedly home from rehab, scares almost everyone. Ben and Mal is a romantic pairing, Ben is the son of Belle and Beast, and Mal is the daughter of Maleficent and Hades.. But even more so, it's also a movie about redemption that reflects Jesus' lesson in the Book of Luke through a powerful illustration of forgiveness. This movie chronicles 24 hours in the life of a family after the oldest son comes home from rehab one Christmas eve. 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. Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. However, any commercial reproduction of anything appearing within this site is both illegal and in really bad taste and we will take action |more|. Ben Is Back takes place in snowy, idyllic, small-town New York, and Ben comes from a family of comfort and means. While eating at a diner, Ben tells Holly that he got a local girl, Maggie, hooked on drugs and is responsible for her death. 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. Ben Is Back shifts into gear once mom and son leave the house for a trip to the mall. What they dont say to each other is as important as what they do say. This is supposed to be such a joyous timethe most wonderful time of the year, evenbut expectations and regrets can serve as triggers, adding to the anxiety of the season. And a scene between the two mothers is painful, but in a manipulative, not heartbreaking way. This time will be different. Inline image. But she think she is. 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 completes the mission and gets Ponce back, but Clayton also gives him some drugs in return. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Ben and Holly talk and talk trying to gain understanding of the situation. With the help of Liam and Lacey, Ben goes to the attic room and finds his old stash. At Family Day, Queen Leah, Audrey's grandmother, believes Mal is Maleficent and causes a scene. Image Credit: Mark Schafer/BBP West BIB, LLC, Ben Burns, an athlete dealing with opioid addiction. 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. 10. But from Spencer, Ben gets a lead about the home invasion incident. Lost and dejected, Dolly calls Neal, illustrates the situation, and goes to the police station to file a diary. She tracks down Spencer, giving him drugs she had confiscated from Ben earlier, in exchange for him telling her where he might be. 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. The filmmaker previously made the enjoyable and piquant holiday-themed comedy-drama, Pieces of April, about a dysfunctional family at Thanksgiving. But once again, Roberts gives a gripping performance as a mother coming to new realizations about the child she thought she finally understood. 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. All at their highest rate in 40 years. Prices of energy and food are rising rapidly. Later still, Dolly and Ben go garment shopping, and seeing Ben in possession of the drug, the guards throw them out of the mall. Ben plays noisily with his half-siblings but too noisily an edge of anxious . Bens intense dynamic with his mother, Holly Burns, and the subsequent effect of his addiction on the family form the core of the drama. In the place, Dolly finds Ben almost dead. 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. Theres brilliant stuff here about recovery and how addiction destroys the fabric of a family. However, with some help from Ben (he leaves Dollys phone number in the note outside the car), Dolly finds the vehicle parked by a house. Ben takes note that there are no burglars, but at the same time, Ponce is missing. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here. And hes with his mother Holly, played by Julia Roberts. 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. His sister and stepfather are, however, deeply. The production unit lensed several exterior scenes along Lake Avenue and Nepperhan Avenue, Central Park Avenue, and Mildred Street. When Neal calls Dolly, Ben is still out of sight. 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. However, Ben returns to life at the movies end with a jolt. Still, she hides her jewellery at the top of the wardrobe. Lucas as Ben has this rich inner life at the beginning of the scene. And Ben has a secret. A drug addicted teenage boy shows up unexpectedly at his family's home on Christmas Eve. Not added . In addition, the team toured Mamaroneck, lensing a few enticing sequences on location. Lucas Hedges plays the titular Ben, a recovering heroin addict, and Julia Roberts is Ben's loving mom. At other times she wonders if her sons addiction is her fault. Shes taken him Christmas shopping so hell have appropriate clothes to wear at church that night. At the restaurant, Ben meets his old buddy Spencer, who now goes by the name of Spider. A young man talks about waking up with erections now that he is not using drugs. Ben has been in rehab for quite a few months, struggling with an Oxycotin addiction. Meanwhile, Ben has relapsed into drugs, and Dolly has to decide whether to part with Ben. 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. In Ben Is Back, Julia Roberts (left) . It is a big BUT uttered from Holly's tough love side. And she thinks shes covered all the tracks. And the later scenes reveal that Ben has taken the drug nonetheless. 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. Ben has something hes not saying. But shes also been burned enough times to know that she must quickly and quietly clean out the pills from her medicine cabinet and gather valuables from her jewelry box. Know when new reviews are published We will never sell or share your email address with anybody and you can unsubscribe at any time, We will never sell or share your email address with anybody and you can unsubscribe at any time, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. The hometown is mundane and suburban, but the camera looks for an exit from nature, reinforcing the fostering image. The suspense is generated by a deceptively simple question, one that haunts most stories of addiction: Will Ben use again? 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. And then theres Julia Roberts. Holly is eager to make Bens unexpected arrival seem as normal as possible, laughing too hard at his jokes and buzzing about the kitchen in a flurry of activity. Does Ben relapse? A young man seems nervous when he sees another young man in a shopping mall. Bens sister, Ivy (Kathryn Newton), wants him gone. But their journey is neither as harrowing nor as emotionally draining as the filmmaker thinks it is. Roberts never quite disappears into her role as a sacrificial mom. A man slams a passenger car window and pounds on the hood of the car as a woman and her son speed away. " Ben Is Back " is the story of one day in the lives of the Burnses, during which this prodigal son will test the love of everyone who cares about him and remind audiences everywhere why. He is entirely credible as an almost-grown man whose credibility has virtually collapsed, who is in a constant state of war with himself. And hes with his mother Holly, played by Julia Roberts. But what if she cant? A drug addicted teenage boy shows up unexpectedly at his family's home on Christmas Eve. Although Dolly has an outburst following this incident, she does not find the fresh batch she is looking for. A young man tells another young man, "I thought you were dead." Your local vendor is at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis this Winter. Ben tries to buy his dog back, but Clayton says Ben must do a drug run for him. Furthermore, the crew filmed scenes in Larchmont, an affluent village situated along the Mamaroneck River. And thats especially clear when he runs into people from his past. And then she checks him because she has concerns. Ben is jumpy, shaky, perhaps not ready for this yet. Shes taken him Christmas shopping so hell have appropriate clothes to wear at church that night. The rest of Ben Is Back, written and directed by Peter Hedges (father of Lucas), sustains and intensifies that clammy, anxious feeling. But this is one of those rare Hollywood movies that keeps you guessing, where you dont see the ending coming 20 minutes in. 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. Ben (Lucas Hedges) has no father and has turned to overdependence on prescription medication. $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 going to get clothes for him. Its here that the film starts leaking suspense. He has been to rehab a few times, and his return brings more menace than peace for the family of Dolly Burns ( Julia Roberts ), her second husband, Neal Beeby, and the family. 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. He has a secret. Pockets. This is humiliating. No, this is love. Hollys oblivious. Free to go. You didnt check my shoes. Then Holly becomes concerned. It opens with Holly (Julia Roberts) coming home from church with three of her four children who have been practicing for the Christmas pageant. A challenge in a movie like this for its makers as well as its audience is that there are few original or satisfying answers to any of those. A young man twitches and complains of being sick as he pleads for money so he can buy drugs. Ben is Back or is he? Support our vendors to earn as much as they can and give them a fighting chance this Winter. '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. But thats what Holly (and Hedges) does. Ben Is Back NYT Critic's Pick Directed by Peter Hedges Drama R 1h 43m By A.O. Dolly says that Ben is with her, but Ivy has installed trackers on the cell phones of the house. She wants to have a good feeling about her sons return. business Retail. Gary M . He has a secret. Pockets. This is humiliating. No, this is love. Hollys oblivious. Free to go. You didnt check my shoes. Then Holly becomes concerned. By what name was Ben Is Back (2018) officially released in India in Hindi? How much more damage will he do, to them and to himself? Can they trust him? The film opens as he returns from his stint at rehab on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, ever the mom in control, Holly tries to convince herself its all going to be fine, even repeating 12-step slogans like It works if you work it.. Lucas as Ben has this rich inner life at the beginning of the scene. All of which leaves Bens mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), in an agonizing position. She ends up at Maggies house, and Maggies mother, Beth, gives Dolly an emergency overdose kit. A young man says that he got a young woman hooked and we understand that she is dead. "[13] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 39 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Add to Cart . But the performances remain uniformly strong and hold the story together, even as it threatens to spin out of control. And then she checks him because she has concerns. A young man chases another young man out of a diner, he shoves him against a wall and into a pile of garbage bags and the young man on the ground gets up and punches the other young man in the face and then runs away. Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges are pictured filming a Scene for 'Ben is Back' at a shopping mall in White Plains, New York 03.01.2018 Advertisement. Subscribe to learn more about the movies you love! The best thing that can be said about this film is that Hedges isnt going for warm and fuzzy feelings. Helmed by Peter Hedges, the 2018 drama Ben Is Back is a refreshing and nuanced addiction movie about drugs and how they affect society. Its not as interesting narratively or as relatable emotionally. His relationship with Julia Roberts as his mother, Holly, provides the film with its vivid heart. 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: Trailer 1 2:25 Added: October 11, 2018. Film directors walk viewers through one scene of their movies, showing the magic, motives and the mistakes from behind the camera. See also Shes going to get clothes for him. A family returns home form a performance and finds their house has been broken into; their Christmas tree is tipped over, the glass of a door is broken and their dog is missing. 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. A woman confronts a doctor about prescribing drugs to her son at the age of 14 and says that she hopes he dies a horrible death. After Bens return, the situation at home is tense, although Dolly especially has faith in Ben. Its like shes seeing him completely for the first time, and its shattering all over again. Copyright The Big Issue Limited 2021. Another place where the crew set up a shoot was a cemetery in Haverstraw, where a heated fight between Ben and Holly takes place. "Bennifer" is officially back! Holly uses the kit and desperately tries to revive him, while sobbing for him to "come back" to her. Let us get to the ending. Holly follows Ponce to the barn where she finds Ben unconscious, having taken the drugs from Clayton. Ben (Lucas Hedges) has no father and has turned to overdependence on prescription medication. After mall PDA, AJ Raval insists Aljur Abrenica just . Furious, she takes him to the cemetery, asking him where he would like to be buried. [8] Filming began on December 5, with Courtney B. Vance joining the cast as Ben's stepfather. 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