Last year, we got to see Oscar-winner Julia Roberts in the family drama Wonder. In that emotional and heartwarming film, Julia Roberts starred as the mother of a boy with a rare facial deformity and the emotional challenges that posed for him and his family. For Julia Roberts' next film she will again be the mother of a boy with what looks to be his own set of troubles that will test their relationship. Take a look below to see an ultra emotional Julia Roberts in Ben is Back.
So often these days teasers are just a bunch of quick cuts, trying to sell us with bits from different parts of the movie. That's fine, and is the right approach for some projects-- but this is a real teaser. After seeing this clip, one has so wonder not only how this family got to this point, but also what happens next. Julia Roberts goes from happy and smiling, singing with her children in the car to complete shock at seeing her son. And moreover, that shock gives way to unbridled joy. The teaser is brilliant in how it portrays Ben as someone who is vaping and creeping around the house, setting him up as a threat before the happy reunion throws everything into question. You get such a range of emotions so quickly and such swerves in this short teaser that you know this movie is going to be an emotional rollercoaster.
It's kind of wild that we get a near minute of what appears to be a huge pivotal and emotional moment in the film, even if it does come at the beginning, in the first teaser. We get the substance of one scene from Ben is Back that tells us everything and nothing. There's the some but, it's still unclear what exactly the movie will be. From the trailer, it seems Ben has probably been gone from his family for some time, and they are shocked to see him on Christmas Eve. The question is why was he gone, where has he been and why his sister, played by Kathryn Newton, is unhappy to see her brother?
The description for the film reveals that Julia Robert's character is worried about Ben staying clean, so there is definitely something that happened with his substance abuse that split the family apart in a major way. This should make for a very emotional and relevant story for Julia Roberts' character, as a need to keep the rest of her family safe may run counter to her love for her son and desire to forgive him. The film apparently takes place over 24 hours, so things must take a turn very quickly.
Ben is Back is written and directed by Peter Hedges who previously directed The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the screenplay for About a Boy. In addition to Julia Roberts, Ben is Back stars Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges as Ben. Given the talent involved and the placement at the end of the year, you have to wonder if this movie has awards aspirations.
Ben is Back premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival next month before opening in select theaters on December 7th. You can next catch Julia Roberts in Homecoming, a new series on Amazon Prime, premiering November 2nd.
