On a trip to . However, Mr. Richmond did not abduct Ponce, making Holly and Ben move on to the next house. 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. 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. Shes always worried. As the film suggests, his list of sins is wide and deep, and many of his past indiscretions will be revealed, like doors opening on an Advent calendar, over the course of the story. [Peter and Lucas Hedges never meant to make a movie together.]. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Ben soon makes eye contact with a man who is presumably linked to his drug-dealing. Will he be dead on the floor with a needle sticking out of his arm? What they dont say to each other is as important as what they do say. At the restaurant, Ben meets his old buddy Spencer, who now goes by the name of Spider. And the later scenes reveal that Ben has taken the drug nonetheless. In the nocturnal adventure, Ben visits the places of guilt to find a resolution for the present discontent. Happy to see him but Holly is also wary, as she does not want his instability to affect the other children. The scale and depth of the horror are beyond anything she had imagined. His stepfather, Neal (Courtney B. Vance), wonders how many more chances Ben deserves, noting that a young black man in his circumstances would not have had as many. 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. After pressure from her husband, she insists she will stick to Ben for the next 24 hours. "Bennifer" is officially back! It is a big BUT uttered from Holly's tough love side. But other scenes are directed with the pure suspense of a thriller. Become a member of our premium site for just $2/month & access advance reviews, without any ads, not a single one, ever. In Wicked World, the two are shown to flirt, with Mal often complimenting on how cute Ben is and being impressed when he . FILTER by RATINGS However, later, Dolly reaches Ivy to find Bens location. He also keeps Ben and Hollys ordeal safely within the boundaries of convention, focusing on the particulars of one familys pain. business Retail. 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. Her anger at Ben dragging her (and her family) into his mess comes and goes. But the performances remain uniformly strong and hold the story together, even as it threatens to spin out of control. 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. Suburban shopping mall parking lots are magical places. Lucas Hedges plays the titular Ben, a recovering heroin addict, and Julia Roberts is Ben's loving mom. Some filming also took place in New City, a hamlet in the Clarkstown municipality. 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. A woman hands her son a cup and tells him to provide a urine sample for drug testing. A young man seems nervous when he sees another young man in a shopping mall. Ben, an addict 77 days sober arrives back at the family home unexpectedly. In Ben Is Back, Julia Roberts (left) . 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. 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. They start in very different places from where they end up. They end up at the home of Maggies father Bens ex-girlfriend, who died from a presumed drug overdose. She has made sacrifices, worked hard, raised good kids and as a result has earned a certain amount of deference. Ben Is Back was filmed in the state of New York, particularly in Rockland County and Westchester County. A young man is agitated when he goes into his attic and says that he used to hide his drug stash there. Nevertheless, she hides the pills and jewelry, because they are triggers and temptations. All of which leaves Bens mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), in an agonizing position. 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. The cast and crew spent a significant amount of time in the Hudson Valley region. Copyright The Big Issue Limited 2021. But A&E was worse': This is the desperate state of the NHS, Rishi Sunak wants a drone army of data entering robots: Simon Peggs furious attack on PMs maths plan. 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. A young man says, "The last time I didn't help someone, they died." And Ben has a secret. Hi. Hedges direction is efficient and understated in these scenes. human shock collars for sale vampire movies 1940s movie themed team names. | profanity glossary |. 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. As per sources, a few scenes were even lensed at a property on Johnsontown Road, simply known as The Farm. As for Ben, hes 77 days clean. With the help of Liam and Lacey, Ben goes to the attic room and finds his old stash. Nevertheless, the scene falls flat and feels preachy. Bens intense dynamic with his mother, Holly Burns, and the subsequent effect of his addiction on the family form the core of the drama. Ben has something hes not saying. Theres brilliant stuff here about recovery and how addiction destroys the fabric of a family. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. The production unit lensed several exterior scenes along Lake Avenue and Nepperhan Avenue, Central Park Avenue, and Mildred Street. And she thinks shes covered all the tracks. His survivors guilt never feels as palpable as her mothers (Rachel Bay Jones) grief. A young man talks about being able to defecate regularly now that he is not using drugs. SPOILERS AHEAD. " 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. Hedges is as excellent as he was in "Manchester By the Sea," but it's fair to say the movie belongs to Roberts. Ben takes note that there are no burglars, but at the same time, Ponce is missing. 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. Melissa McCarthy Says 'Bridesmaids' Originally Had a Strip . 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. Vendors are amongst the most vulnerable people affected. A young man speeds away from a gas station leaving his mother inside alone and with no ride. 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. A young man talks about waking up with erections now that he is not using drugs. 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. 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. I dont think Ben is Back hangs together perfectly but there were times I forgot to breathe for a second or three. 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. Roberts never quite disappears into her role as a sacrificial mom. Abruptly leaving Dolly behind, Ben goes to Claytons place. How much more damage will he do, to them and to himself? "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 With the bathroom door opened- despite his protest. On the other hand, Ford Wheeler, the set decorator of Stranger Than Fiction fame, took up the role of production designer in the movie. 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. The questions his behavior creates for the people who love him are equally excruciating. But this is one of those rare Hollywood movies that keeps you guessing, where you dont see the ending coming 20 minutes in. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. - Drug addiction, the opioid crisis, guilt, honesty, giving up on people, fear, truth, trust, support groups, rehab. And then she checks him because she has concerns. He tells Holly he needs to go to a support group meeting, where he later shares the story of how he almost overdosed, but was saved by his mom and the family dog, Ponce. 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. Clayton, according to Ben, is a dangerous person, and Ben is not ready to risk Dollys life when he meets Clayton. A woman walks alone in a dark alley and finds her son's phone in a garbage dumpster. 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. Upon the arrival she is first shocked and then overjoyed to see her. Julia Roberts films Ben Is Back in sub-zero weather https://t.co/kmKOaHd0oB #Yonkers pic.twitter.com/LPHHL3bZh3, YonkersRU (@YonkersRoundup) January 8, 2018. Regardless, Hedges plants all kinds of details that are meant to pay off later but fail to deliver any real impact. "[13] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 39 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". 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. Ben (Lucas Hedges) has no father and has turned to overdependence on prescription medication. 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. He slips meaningful little asides into out-of-the-way places. Shortly after Neal and Holly argue over Ben's arrival, there's a scene focusing on Ben's interaction with his young siblings. On the contrary, what is so moving and effective about Robertss work here is her shrewd subversion of her long-established persona. And then he reminds her, no, she didnt check everything. Inline image. They search for Ponce together to no avail. If the thought has indeed crossed your mind, allow us to enlighten you. We see snippets of a sleepy town, zooming into a Christmas choir. [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. However, Ben returns to life at the movies end with a jolt. Ben is around 20 years old (at which age I too was also . Now, you may wonder where the film was shot. Clayton is not convinced by what Ben has to offer, and Ben has to do another job for Clayton if he wants to take Ponce back. It is as if he has come home from prep school, not rehab. 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. As a young man and his mother drive past houses, he points a house where he "used," and one that he robbed. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. This is especially true regarding a subplot about a young woman who died as a result of Ben getting her hooked on drugs. Ben is also not confident in himself and his sponsor asked him not to return home in the first place since there are too many triggers. But shes not paying full attention. The film highlights many shades of Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges' central roles, Holly and Ben. 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. 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. REVIEWS When Ben heads out on foot to locate Ponce, Dolly thinks it is good to go with Ben. 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. GreatMartin. . 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." 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. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from the Big Issue and our partners. Image Credit: Mark Schafer/BBP West BIB, LLC, Ben Burns, an athlete dealing with opioid addiction. Dolly seeks to accept Ben, but Ben has ways to mess things up. I n its early scenes, Ben Is Back is more unpredictable and slyly entertaining than its earnest-sounding premise might suggest. The film opens as he returns from his stint at rehab on Christmas Eve. The crew filmed some scenes in Sloatsburg, a village in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County. Shes always worried. This movie chronicles 24 hours in the life of a family after the oldest son comes home from rehab one Christmas eve. Holly finds drugs on Ben and he claims a girl at the meeting gave them to him. 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 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. And it works, mostly. Its like shes seeing him completely for the first time, and its shattering all over again. 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Richmond did not abduct Ponce, Dolly reaches Ivy to find Bens location Christmas choir these scenes language... The story together, even as it threatens to spin out of control has home... Her shrewd subversion of her long-established persona about Robertss work here is her shrewd of!
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