Ben is Back

On Friday, January 4, 2019 I went to see the movie Ben is Back, featuring Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton.

The movie is about a family, the Burns.  The mom, Holly Burns, is played by Julia Roberts, who is a very loving mother, and a loving wife.  This is, however, her second marriage.  We think that the family is just a normal family that was merged after a second marriage, until we see the other main character, Ben Burns, played by Lucas Hedges, who is Holly's son from her first marriage.  Unfortunately, Ben is also an addict.

As far as the family is concerned, Ben is back at rehab, to make sure that he gets back on track and he gets his life back.  As the movie progresses, we learn that he nearly died of an overdose.

To the entire family's surprise, Ben is back in town for Christmas Eve.  However, we learn very quickly that he was probably not ready to be back, and that his former life is coming back full force.  (We learn that Ben was a dealer before he went to rehab twice)

This time, when Ben is back in town, Holly was about to take him back to the rehab centre.  Holly clearly misses having Ben around the house, and she couldn't find it in her heart to take him back.  So, she basically tells Ben that she will watch him like a hawk for the next 24 hours.  (I mean, if she took him back, we probably wouldn't have the movie)

Long story short, after they come back from Christmas Eve mass, they discover that there was a break-in, and that they took everyone's favourite dog.  So, the story is about Ben and Holly.  Ben, who tries to write the many wrongs that he did and Holly, whose love for Ben is so strong, that she is willing to risk her own life to make sure that Ben gets out of this alive.

Fine acting by the entire cast of actors in this movie.  Julia Roberts' acting?  A+.  Lucas Hedges' acting?  For a young actor, I think he is very promising.

Definitely a movie that is worth seeing on the big screen.  The amount of suspense was just right, since I was pretty much on the edge of my seat for the last two thirds of the movie, I would say.