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. Its not as interesting narratively or as relatable emotionally. tipsy bartender emma break up; asl sign for coast guard Holly exudes the tough, elegant self-confidence that has long been part of the Julia Roberts brand. Ben Is Back SUBSTANCE USE - A woman puts prescription medications from a medicine cabinet in a bag and hides them in a closet, a young woman tells a young man that he was her dealer, many people using drugs stand around barrel fires and seem high, a young man delivers money to a drug dealer and returns to another dealer with drugs (the dealer tastes the drugs and gives the delivery person a . She even takes a tour of the river, where they all end up at the dead of the night. Photograph: Doane Gregory/AP These colors don't run. Ben's mother, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. Should they believe him? When a young man doesn't remember a young woman, she tells him, "You were my dealer." - 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. 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. Spencer shows up and, after a tussle, he confirms that Clayton, a drug dealer he used to work for, took Ponce. he locks himself in a mall fitting room. 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. The production unit lensed several exterior scenes along Lake Avenue and Nepperhan Avenue, Central Park Avenue, and Mildred Street. The disease of addiction can afflict anyone, anywhere, Hedges reminds us, just as Beautiful Boy did earlier this year. Vance, as the skeptical stepdad, takes a thinly-written role and makes it meatier. As Bens stepdad puts it: if he was black hed be in prison. She was seen attending a cast dinner with both Lopez and Rodriguez in 2019 before the "Hustlers" star hosted the late-night sketch show. In the end, the family home is broken into (not by Ben). And hes with his mother Holly, played by Julia Roberts. A young man talks about waking up with erections now that he is not using drugs. On the other hand, Ford Wheeler, the set decorator of Stranger Than Fiction fame, took up the role of production designer in the movie. Dolly gets nervous, and Neals worries trouble her more since she wants to give Ben a chance. Superheroes! When Neal calls Dolly, Ben is still out of sight. Symmetry opens the film. While maintaining the unity of action and time, the movie also features a lot of outdoor locations. 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 Ben has a secret. Abruptly leaving Dolly behind, Ben goes to Claytons place. Roberts never quite disappears into her role as a sacrificial mom. Not added . Ben has been in rehab for quite a few months, struggling with an Oxycotin addiction. Ben is around 20 years old (at which age I too was also . 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. Later at night, with little luck finding Ponce, Dolly and Ben try to reach a moment of clarity at a diner. New & Used (35) from $3.78 + $3.99 shipping. (She and Hedges also played siblings last year in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.) Ivy has seen too much, so she sees through everyones lieseven the well-intentioned ones from her mom. A young man speeds away from a gas station leaving his mother inside alone and with no ride. The film begins when 19-year-old Ben Burns reappears in his house in Yonkers, New York, just in time for Christmas. Her son tries to start it but is unsuccessful. Holly sees Ben standing on the porch on her way back from the church with children Liam, Lacey, and Ivy. While there, she receives a call from a man who found Ponce, driving out to retrieve him. A young man says that he got a young woman hooked and we understand that she is dead. But you would never forgive yourself for not trying." After pressure from her husband, she insists she will stick to Ben for the next 24 hours. Furthermore, the crew filmed scenes in Larchmont, an affluent village situated along the Mamaroneck River. In the place, Dolly finds Ben almost dead. Ivy, however, is rightly suspicious of this prodigal son, and says Holly is trying too hard. . I n its early scenes, Ben Is Back is more unpredictable and slyly entertaining than its earnest-sounding premise might suggest. See production, box office & company info, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Julia Roberts/Patrick Wilson. Perhaps most notably, the new episodes show Wendy becoming increasingly reckless in her actionsspeaking publicly and repeatedly about her "missing" brother Ben ( Tom Pelphrey ), even though she. Her tics and her smile are overly familiar, but her performance does work when she is being empathetic. Dolly seeks to accept Ben, but Ben has ways to mess things up. If you think what we do is worthwhile, please donate or become a member, Why is Ben Is Back rated R? 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? [Read our critics top 10 films of the year.]. It starts at the mall, where she sees the elderly physician whose painkiller prescription she blames for Bens habit, and where Ben crosses paths with an old acquaintance. 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. 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. . Additional filming went underway at the Super Seven convenience store, located at 75 Orange Turnpike in Sloatsburg. 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 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 . We see a photo of a woman wearing a camisole that reveals cleavage. For the time, Ben only wants the dog back. Ben Is Back is really Hollys story, and notwithstanding the all-around excellence of the cast, its very much Robertss movie. Realizing it is to do with him, Ben leaves the house to find him. Another place where the crew set up a shoot was a cemetery in Haverstraw, where a heated fight between Ben and Holly takes place. Her best moments have Holly making some questionable decisions, thoughher heart is in the right place. 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. Returning from Ivy, Liam, and Laceys performance at the Christmas choir, they find that the room has been broken in. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. I never fully buy into its truth but this is one of those rare Hollywood movies that keeps you guessing. He progresses to leave Ponce in the car, heading to a drug den to die from the guilt. (Particularly so soon after another film about a privileged young addict Beautiful Boy.) A woman pounds on a fitting room door and yells obscenities at her son behind the door before they are asked to leave the store. A woman takes her son to a cemetery and asks him where he wants to be buried. Stars: Dan Russell, Teresa Gallagher, Kerry Shale, Kyla Rae Kowalewski. 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. Will he be dead on the floor with a needle sticking out of his arm? And hes with his mother Holly, played by Julia Roberts. One of the cruelties of addiction is the way it strips away individuality, making all addicts stories the same. Some filming also took place in New City, a hamlet in the Clarkstown municipality. [6] In November, Kathryn Newton was cast as the titular Ben's sister Ivy,[7] and Alexandra Park joined as an addict Ben meets during an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Shes always worried. His Mother Holly is ecstatic, as are his young step-siblings. (But were still going to focus on the sad rich, straight, young white guys.). With the bathroom door opened- despite his protest. Im Peter Hedges, writer and director of Ben Is Back. Ben Burns, played by Lucas Hedges, comes home unexpectedly on Christmas Eve Day. Ben, an addict 77 days sober arrives back at the family home unexpectedly. Let us now take you to the specific locations where the movie was lensed. As is the cost of rent. Shes thrilled and terrified, and the brilliantly expressive Roberts makes both of those sensations visible simultaneously. 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. While we read all emails & try to reply we don't always manage to do so; be assured that we will not share your e-mail address. Suburban shopping mall parking lots are magical places. And you will be helping support our website & our efforts. Check out the new movie clip for Ben Is Back starring Lucas Hedges! 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. However, Mr. Richmond did not abduct Ponce, making Holly and Ben move on to the next house. Issuu is a digital . While the director meant to keep the finale subtle, we conclude that Ben is alive. But on the plus side, Ben is natural with Liam and Lacey, although his seemingly benign song conceals a neurotic outburst. Ben takes note that there are no burglars, but at the same time, Ponce is missing. Ben (Lucas Hedges) has no father and has turned to overdependence on prescription medication. 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. And then she checks him because she has concerns. Hedges is as excellent as he was in "Manchester By the Sea," but it's fair to say the movie belongs to Roberts. His mother Holly (Roberts) beams as only Julia Roberts can beam, full megawatt dazzle delighted to see him. Other Sellers on Amazon. A young man talks about being able to defecate regularly now that he is not using drugs. Driving out to an abandoned barn, he parks on the side of the road. Although Dolly has an outburst following this incident, she does not find the fresh batch she is looking for. Hollywood films about addiction tend to be tasteful, well-meaning awardsy dramas. A young man talks about people in a car flatulating repeatedly. by Marc on January 17, 2019 in Connect. Hi. - Drug addiction, the opioid crisis, guilt, honesty, giving up on people, fear, truth, trust, support groups, rehab. But once again, Roberts gives a gripping performance as a mother coming to new realizations about the child she thought she finally understood. Ben Is Back was filmed in the state of New York, particularly in Rockland County and Westchester County. 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. Technically, the film is a two-hander. Sequels! The rest of Ben Is Back, written and directed by Peter Hedges (father of Lucas), sustains and intensifies that clammy, anxious feeling. THE ASSIGNED NUMBERS It is hard to believe anything Ben says when he arrives or opens his mouth. A young man smokes from a vaping device in a few scenes (outside and in a car). Although Maggies father smashes the windowpane of Dollys car out of vengeance, he seemingly has not abducted Ponce. These scenes are the most engaging, but that may be because they are action-oriented, and the characters have finally stopped freakin talking about their problems. | profanity glossary |. And Ben has a secret. Does Ben relapse? The film opens as he returns from his stint at rehab on Christmas Eve. And then he reminds her, no, she didnt check everything. The film begins like a home invasion thriller as a young guy attempts to break into a house. 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. Ben introduced Maggie to the drug, which seems to cause some amount of guilt in Bens mind. 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. Leaving Holly stranded at a gas station, he goes to meet Clayton. Ben Is Back has been added to your Cart . He has sworn that he wont, and part of him doesnt want to, but the other part has made him a liar, and worse, many times before. 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. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. The maternal side of Holly tells Ivy and Ben that he may stay for Christmas before going back to rehab, but-. Her anger at Ben dragging her (and her family) into his mess comes and goes. What's coming to your cinema in 2023, For your consideration the potential 2023 Oscar winners, We spent a day streaming bad Christmas movies and this is what it did to our brain, Here's when people will get the next cost of living payment in 2023, 'My elderly mother was in an ambulance for 18 hours. Ben owes Clayton a great deal of money since he takes a wad of cash and Dollys expensive necklace to make it square. 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. All at their highest rate in 40 years. At the restaurant, Ben meets his old buddy Spencer, who now goes by the name of Spider. Your local vendor is at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis this Winter. Christmas can be emotionally fraught no matter who you are or what family you grew up in, but it can be especially tricky when youre an addict, and even more so when you have a tenuous grasp on your recovery. Even after the menacing, hooded figure skulking around near the driveway is recognized as a son and brother (played by Lucas Hedges), the queasy feeling of terror doesnt quite abate. Film directors walk viewers through one scene of their movies, showing the magic, motives and the mistakes from behind the camera. But Anastasia can be easily confused, I guess, so asks for a clear roadmap. Stuart Dryburgh of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty fame came on board as the director of photography. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. How much more damage will he do, to them and to himself? Bens intense dynamic with his mother, Holly Burns, and the subsequent effect of his addiction on the family form the core of the drama. He wisely lets his actors act, giving them space to indicate so much in just a meaningful look. It is all calculated emotional button-pushing. (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. Ben's mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. When Dolly gets to the shabby house, she finds Ponce barking outside the home. A man says of his step-son, "If he were black he would be in jail by now." After Bens return, the situation at home is tense, although Dolly especially has faith in Ben. Copyright 2023 Salon.com, LLC. Since Mr. Richmonds wife had cancer, he could get all the prescription drugs. 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. They end up at the home of Maggies father Bens ex-girlfriend, who died from a presumed drug overdose. Scott Dec. 5, 2018 When the title character shows up early in "Ben Is Back" just before Christmas, at his. She tracks down Spencer, giving him drugs she had confiscated from Ben earlier, in exchange for him telling her where he might be. '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. Clayton, a local gang leader for whom Ben worked, sent men to break into the Burns residence. human shock collars for sale vampire movies 1940s movie themed team names. A young man tells another young man, "I thought you were dead." She scolds him for getting her son hooked on painkillers after a snowboarding accident when Ben was younger. But she think she is. Ben's wary mother Holly Burns (Roberts) welcomes her beloved son's return, but soon learns he is still very much in harm's way. The spacious house is bustling with excitement and preparations for the kids performances at Christmas Eve mass. 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. Ben sees his childhood friend, Spencer, also a drug addict. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. REVIEWS 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. But this is one of those rare Hollywood movies that keeps you guessing, where you dont see the ending coming 20 minutes in. Acclaimed director Peter Hedges ('Dan In Real Life') reared the 2018 familial micro-drama movie 'Ben Is Back' starring his son Lucas Hedges (' Manchester by the Sea '). But Ben leaves with Dollys car, which gets Dolly worried. "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 While we read all emails & try to reply we do not always manage to do so; be assured that we will not share your e-mail address. Bens sister Ivy (Kathryn Newton) is all eye-rolling cynicism at this latest outbreak of sobriety. She ends up at Maggies house, and Maggies mother, Beth, gives Dolly an emergency overdose kit. Lucas Hedges has to work a tricky balancing act of appearing. This is especially true regarding a subplot about a young woman who died as a result of Ben getting her hooked on drugs. 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. Admittedly, you may feel like youve had your fill of troubled rich white guys with all their second chances and five-star rehab opportunities. See also Not a burglar it turns out but Ben (played by the directors son Lucas Hedges), the familys oldest kid, who is back from rehab unexpectedly for the holidays. People and institutions doctors, police officers and pharmacists, as well as her kids are supposed to listen, and to accede to her wishes. Ben plays noisily with his half-siblings but too noisily an edge of anxious . SPOILERS AHEAD. The next scene they're at a gas station with no explanation as to how they got the broken down vehicle there. After a few minutes, Ben takes a breath. He blames himself for someone attempting to hurt his family. YouBen- will immediately submit to a drug test! The scale and depth of the horror are beyond anything she had imagined. Support our vendors to earn as much as they can and give them a fighting chance this Winter. We see snippets of a sleepy town, zooming into a Christmas choir. The filmmaker previously made the enjoyable and piquant holiday-themed comedy-drama, Pieces of April, about a dysfunctional family at Thanksgiving. What they dont say to each other is as important as what they do say. hockeydabeast413 live feed man in love taiwan movie why did alice leave tattoo fixers cosmetology school lawrence, ks rtgs vs pesalink. But everywhere he goes hes confronted by life as an addict. After mall PDA, AJ Raval insists Aljur Abrenica just . 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. In fulfilling the assignment, Clayton offers Ben a pouch of the drug to reward Bens service in the smuggling operation. Newton is quite good, too, as the familys voice of reason. $12.49 FREE Shipping Get free shipping Free shipping within the U.S. when you order $25.00 of eligible items shipped by Amazon. Ben concocts that he took the drug from the girl at the meeting, but he later comes clean that he found the bit in the attic room. 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."