Ben is Back

I really wanted to see Ben is Back over winter break because, ever since I saw Manchester by the Sea, I've become a huge fan of Lucas Hedges.  It is a very powerful, but depressing, film that explores a mother's love for a child under any circumstance.  Holly Burns (Julia Roberts) is a frazzled mother trying to wrangle three of her four children through a nativity rehearsal on Christmas Eve.  Upon returning home she notices a visitor on her front porch.  It is Ben (Hedges), her oldest son, who has unexpectedly returned early from a rehab facility.  Holly is thrilled to see him, if a bit wary, but his stepfather Neal (Courtney B. Vance) is concerned and his sister Ivy (Kathryn Newton) is openly hostile.  It is soon apparent that Ben's behavior has ruined previous holidays for the family but Holly allows him to stay with the condition that he remain within her sight at all times.  When the family returns home from church, they discover that the family dog is missing and Ben suggests that it has been kidnapped by someone angered by his return.  This prompts Holly to take Ben out looking for the dog but it soon becomes a journey through Ben's troubled past which not only horrifies her but forces her to confront the person her son has become.  The tragedy is that while she is trying to save Ben from his former associates, and himself, she is also trying to save the holiday for the rest of her family.  As with Beautiful Boy, this film brilliantly portrays the effect that addiction has on everyone surrounding the addict and it is heartbreaking.  The fact the the action takes place over a 24-hour period gives the film a sense of urgency and I like the fact that Ben's past, and future for that matter, is only hinted at rather than explicitly stated because the uncertainty is more unsettling.  Roberts gives one of her best performances to date, conveying so many emotions with just a single look, and Hedges gives an unflinching portrayal of a manipulative liar who shouldn't be trusted.  Their scenes together are fraught with tension and this elevates a typical addiction drama into something incredibly poignant.  I highly recommend it.