Ben is Back
Holly Burns (Julia Roberts) is taken aback, stunned, and disoriented when her oldest son, Ben (Lucas Hedges), turns up at home for Christmas. Trouble is, Ben is a recovering addict and supposed to be in a rehab program; now home he’s insistent upon his good health, but old triggers are everywhere and new stresses behind every door. How will life reconcile matters?
Written and Directed by Peter Hedges, this emotional journey of desperate people in desperate situations is the grounds for strong and honest performances from the entire ensemble, save for some of the convenient plotting shenanigans that beat the heart of act II. Looking to the seedy underbelly of American addiction, Director Hedges offers up a frighteningly accurate but condensed view of the world, which, while not exactly the fare for holiday fun times, it most certainly is a reality to those who’ve seen it with their own eyes; this may be hard subject material to digest. None the less, for drama power alone, this film deserves your attention, perhaps as a matinee or at the very least a rental later this winter when available. Ben is Back is rated R.