Peter Hedges (writer/director from Pieces of April – 2003) has his handheld, sort of verité style, with plenty of room for great work by Julia Roberts and his real life son, Lucas Hedges
Lucas Hedges plays Ben, the son of Roberts, a recovering drug addict. There’s a web of lying (by Roberts character as well).
Lucas Hedges downplays some of the drug addition tropes and clichés and that’s refreshing. He is a fine actor and that confidence comes through. There’s more meat on the bone for Julia Roberts and her full range of emotions are on display.
Ben is Back (a terrible title) uses the one-day in the life, cousin of Cleo From 5 to 7 or Good Time narrative timeframe structure, and that works. Hedges has chosen Christmas Eve to ratchet up the tension and immediacy even more (Pieces of April was also about a family in fracture during the holidays- Thanksgiving)
A great frame of Roberts outside the golden pawn shop at night.
The film isn’t overly visually inventive- but there’s a quick shot of Roberts at dawn with snow on the lake as the backdrop—and the final shot and imagine is very impressive (above). The sun peeking through the barn
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