Susan Granger’s review of “Ben Is Back” (Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate)
In the midst of the current opioid crisis, the theme of addiction and its accompanying torment is prevalent in the remake of “A Star Is Born,” “Beautiful Boy” and now “Ben Is Back.”
“I grew up in a family that was ravaged by alcoholism, so this type of material is deep in my bones,” says writer/director Peter Hedges, who cast his son, Lucas, as the titular 19 year-old who became dependent on prescription drugs.
In upstate New York on Christmas Eve, when Ben unexpectedly returns from almost four months in rehab, his appearance throws the Burns family into chaos. While Ben’s mother Holly (Julia Roberts) is delighted to see him, she’s doggedly determined to keep him clean for the next 24 hours. To that end, she cautiously hides her jewelry and empties the medicine cabinet.
Her husband/Ben’s stepdad, Neal (Courtney B. Vance), who took out a second mortgage to pay for Ben’s treatment, is more cynical, noting, “If he were black, he’d be in jail right now.” Ben’s sister, Ivy (Kathryn Newton), agrees, particularly after the family returns from Christmas Eve church services to find the house ransacked and their dog Ponce stolen.
While Ben searches for Ponce, the plot thickens, particularly when he encounters destructive people from his past and gets sucked back into the dangerous world of drug-dealing.
“I’m not worth it,” Ben wails. So it becomes Holly’s quest to prove to Ben that, ultimately, his life is worth saving.
Not since “Erin Brockovich” has Julia Roberts delivered such an emotionally raw performance, one that’s matched by Lucas Hedges, who also starred in 2018’s “Boy Erased” and “Mid90s.”
Although Peter Hedges’ intentions are honorable, his pacing is erratic and uneven. He introduces pivotal characters, like the doctor-with-dementia who originally prescribed Ben’s painkillers, the mother of Ben’s girl-friend who overdosed, and a woman who used to buy drugs from Ben, only to have them rapidly evaporate.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Ben Is Back” is a superficially insightful 6, emerging as yet another troubled teen saga.
