The invisible subtitle of Peter Hedges‘ Ben Is Back (Roadside, 12.7) is “oh, what a tangled mess we make of our lives when we trust our formerly drug-addicted sons and daughters to act like they’re past it and totally clean.” Doesn’t usually work that way. Julia Roberts’ too-trusting mom is the standout element; Lucas Hedges (heavier than in Manchester By The Sea and wearing a tennis–ball haircut) is the druggie son. A better-than-decent film that runs on a clock, the whole story unfolding within a 12-hour time period (or something like that).
