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Official Selection of Tiantan Award | Ben is Back: One Family Reunion of One Day

  On Christmas Eve, Ben (Lucas Hedges) suddenly returns home from the drug rehabilitation center to spend the Christmas with his family. However, as an "uninvited guest", his return completely disrupts the family's original Christmas plan. The stepfather’s stubborn attitude, his sister’s refusal with indignation, and his own problems make the family face the possibility of collapse at any time. And his mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), feels happy about the return of her beloved son, though, she has to face him with great caution, stay close to Ben, and do everything she could to ease the conflicts that might break out at home, so as to avoid the collapse of the family. 

  In the 24 hours of a day, after going through numerous predicaments, the family members gradually realize and understand the tremendous pain faced by Ben, during which a story about family reconciliation and return begins. 

  Julia Roberts plays a great mother in the film. Ben, who returned from the drug rehabilitation center, is played by Lucas Hedges, a Hollywood outstanding rookie, who starred in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Manchester by the Sea, Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 

 

  As a big name, Julia Roberts once again demonstrates her superb acting skills as an international top actress. The delicate but simple performance truly reproduces a mother's greatest tolerance and love for the child. 

  In scenes where she faces her husband's tolerance and compromise and her son's discretion cautiousness, where she is exhausted due to the immense conflict, where she remains tenacious in the face of major choices, as well as where she is helpless in the face of huge and dark social networks, all of them are vividly presented by her mature and impressive acting, making a story that is not complicated by itself become suspenseful and dramatical. 

 

  Different from the general film that shows family relationship, Ben is Back uses "drug", a socially sensitive topic, as an entry point to deeply analyze the internal core of a family, depicting the love and connection between the mother and son which can never be cut off. 

  The film presents the whole image of the story in 24 hours, including the doctor who makes Ben drug- addictive, the teacher who gives him the drug, the girl who is beguiled by Ben into taking drug and killed by it, and the addict who is terminally ill... these characters appear one after another, thus presenting a huge and intricate network of social networks in front of Holly and the audience. 

  Indifference, resistance, despair, hatred, all these profound emotions make the helpless and desperate mother so menial and pitiful. Looking at the son who has made a huge mistake, Holly never gives up on him. Instead, she repeatedly save Ben from the verge of destruction and death. The thornier the life is, the better people can understand the unconditional tolerance and love of a mother, and understand why the laughter and happiness of the past are so precious. 

  The 24 hours of this Christmas seems to epitomize the ups and downs of a long life, during which Holly always sides with and support her son Ben. While leading us step by step to the truth, the director’s thinking about family and emotional ties, and the respect for love and life are revealed gradually. 

  The film ends deftly, leaving only an open ending, but letting the family affection can be felt by every member of the family, and engraved in the consanguine connection between the mother and son that never breaks.

  A son who tries to return to the family after drug rehabilitation, a mother who does everything she can to save him, a delicate story about unconditional love and family affection. Perhaps the mistake Ben has made will never be forgotten, but there is always someone who makes Christmas wishes for him and guards him to the dawn in the dark night of despair. 

  [Screening Information] 

  15:45 April 19 (Friday) Emperor Cinemas (including the Meet-and-greet with Cast & Crew)