Ben Is Back

Ben Is Back is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Peter Hedges and starring Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges (son of the film's director), and Courtney B. Vance. The plot follows a mother who tries to help her addict son after he returns home from rehab.

Ben Is Back
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Hedges
Produced by
Written byPeter Hedges
Starring
Music byDickon Hinchliffe
CinematographyStuart Dryburgh
Edited byIan Blume
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • September 8, 2018 (2018-09-08) (TIFF)
  • December 7, 2018 (2018-12-07) (United States)
Running time
103 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$13 million[2]
Box office$12.6 million[3][4]

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. 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.

Plot

Driving home with her kids on Christmas Eve, Holly Burns is startled to see her son Ben standing in the driveway. Ben has been in rehab for the past few months and is not supposed to be released yet, and he tells them his sponsor said a trip home would be good for him. Though wary, Holly is happy to see him and says he can stay for 24 hours on the condition he does not leave her sight.

Holly takes Ben out to do holiday shopping and runs into Ben's former doctor, now an old man with dementia. When his caregiver walks away Holly scolds him for getting her son hooked on painkillers after a snowboarding accident when he was younger. Ben then tells Holly he needs to get to a support group meeting immediately.

At the meeting Ben shares the story of how he almost overdosed but his mom and dog saved him.

Holly finds drugs on Ben and he claims a girl at the meeting gave them to him. The family drives home from church that night to find that someone has broken into their home and kidnapped the family dog, Ponce. Realizing it has something to do with him, Ben runs off to retrieve the dog. Holly follows him in the car and they end up driving around trying to find the dog together.

While eating at a diner Ben tells Holly he got a local girl, Maggie, hooked on drugs and is responsible for her death. He says that he lied to her telling her that the drugs were the best thing ever. Holly explains at the time he believed this to be the truth, so it was not a lie. Ben's childhood friend Spencer shows up and after a physical confrontation, confirms Ben's fear: Clayton, a drug dealer he used to work for, is the one who took the dog. Ben tries to get his mom to go home, telling her this will be dangerous and she should let him handle it, but Holly refuses to leave him.

Ben is able to trick Holly at a gas station convenience store, leaving her stranded there while he goes to meet Clayton. Ben tries to buy his dog back but Clayton says Ben must handle a drug run for him. Meanwhile, Holly goes to Maggie's mom for help. Maggie's mom gives her a med kit for reviving a person who has suffered an overdose and the keys to her car to go find Ben. Holly tracks down Spencer, and gives him drugs she had confiscated from Ben earlier, in exchange for him telling her where Ben might be.

Ben completes the mission and gets his dog back, but Clayton also gives him some drugs as a thank you. Ben drives out to an abandoned barn and parks on the side of the road. He leaves Ponce in the car with a note asking whoever finds it to call Holly.

After wandering around all night, Holly finally goes to a police station. While screaming for them to find and arrest her son, she gets a call from a guy who has found Ponce, and drives out to retrieve him. She follows Ponce down a nearby path that leads to an old barn where she finds Ben unconscious, having taken the drugs from Clayton. Holly is finally able to revive him.

Cast
  • Julia Roberts as Holly Burns-Beeby, Ben and Ivy's mother and Neal's wife
  • Lucas Hedges as Ben Burns, Holly's son, Ivy's brother and Neal's stepson
  • Courtney B. Vance as Neal Beeby, Ben and Ivy's stepfather and Holly's husband
  • Kathryn Newton as Ivy Burns, Ben's sister, Holly's daughter and Neal's stepdaughter
  • Rachel Bay Jones as Beth Conyers, the mother of Ben's deceased ex-girlfriend, Maggie
  • David Zaldivar as Spencer "Spider" Webbs, a drug addict and one of Ben's old friends
  • Alexandra Park as Cara K at AA meeting, a Ben drug customer
  • Michael Esper as Clayton, Ben's local drug supplier and Ponce thief
  • Tim Guinee as Phil, AA meeting member
  • Henry Stram as Mr. Richman, Ben's high school history teacher who gave Ben oxycontin in exchange for sexual favors
  • Myra Lucretia Taylor as Sally, a homeless woman
  • Kristin Griffith as Mrs. Crane, wife of Alzheimer doctor
  • Mia Fowler as Lacey Burns-Beeby, Ben's 10-year-old little sister
  • Jakari Fraser as Liam Burns-Beeby, Neal and Holly's 6-year-old son
  • Ponce as family dog

Production

The project was announced in October 2017, with Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts set to star.[5] In November, Kathryn Newton was cast as the titular Ben's sister Ivy,[6] and Alexandra Park joined as an addict Ben meets during an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.[7] Filming began on December 5, with Courtney B. Vance joining the cast as Ben's stepfather.[8] Filming took place in Yonkers, New City, Sloatsburg, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Garnerville, and Haverstraw, New York.[9]

Release

In July 2018, LD Entertainment, Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate acquired distribution rights to the film, which they released on December 7, 2018.[10] The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2018.[11]

Reception

According to the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 81% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 216 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Refreshingly understated, Ben Is Back subverts family drama stereotypes - and provides a forum for terrific performances from Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts."[12] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 39 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards 2019 Best Actress Julia Roberts Nominated
Best Screenwriter Peter Hedges Nominated
Best Film -Intergenerational Nominated
Beijing Film Festival 2019 Best Film Peter Hedges Nominated
Central Ohio Film Critics Association 2019 Actor of the Year Lucas Hedges Nominated
CinEuphoria Awards 2019 Best Actor - International Competition Julia Roberts Nominated
Best Actress - International Competition Lucas Hedges Nominated
German Dubbing Awards 2020 Best Drama Nominated
Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Awards December 7, 2018 Best Performance by an Actor 23 and Under Lucas Hedges Won
Best Independent Film Nominated
North Carolina Film Critics Association January 3, 2020 Tar Heel Award Lucas Hedges Won

References
  1. "Ben is Back". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  2. Abramovitch, Seth (December 4, 2018). "Making of 'Ben Is Back': How Director Peter Hedges Convinced His Reluctant Son Lucas to Star". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  3. "Ben Is Back (2018)". The Numbers. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  4. "Ben Is Back (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  5. Jr, Mike Fleming (23 October 2017). "Julia Roberts And Lucas Hedges Team For Black Bear & 30WEST-Backed 'Ben Is Back'". Deadline Hollywood.
  6. Busch, Anita (14 November 2017). "'Big Little Lies' Kathryn Newton Joins Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges In 'Ben Is Back'". Deadline Hollywood.
  7. N'Duka, Amanda (28 November 2017). "'The Royals' Star Alexandra Park Cast In Peter Hedges' 'Ben Is Back'". Deadline Hollywood.
  8. N'Duka, Amanda (5 December 2017). "Courtney B. Vance Joins Julia Roberts & Lucas Hedges In 'Ben Is Back'". Deadline Hollywood.
  9. Julia Roberts project, filmed in Rockland, gets positive reviews Retrieved October 15, 2018
  10. Ramos, Dino-Day (July 9, 2018). "Julia Roberts Drama 'Ben Is Back' Acquired By LD Entertainment, Lionsgate & Roadside". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  11. Vlessing, Etan (July 24, 2018). "Toronto: Timothee Chalamet Starrer 'Beautiful Boy,' Dan Fogelman's 'Life Itself' Among Festival Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  12. "Ben is Back (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  13. "Ben Is Back Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
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