Peter Hedges' Ben Is Back could easily have been set in my home state of West Virginia. The opioid crisis that holds a vice-grip on the USA -- every 25 minutes a baby suffering from opioid withdrawal is born in the US -- is particularly bad in the Mountain State.
In 2016, WV experienced the nation's highest rate of death by opioid overdose: more than 43 deaths per 100,000 people.
The opioid epidemic in WV results from a perfect storm of causes that includes a challenging economy, geographic isolation, an under-developed infrastructure, insufficient health and wellness resources, etc. Perhaps the biggest influence, however, is greed. You want an example? In a 10 month span, a major drug company shipped over 3,000,000 prescription opioids to a single pharmacy located in the small town of Kermit, WV.
Kermit, WV has a population of just about 400 people.
Ben is Back tells the story of a young man on a brief holiday leave from an in-house drug recovery program. The movie has a strong ensemble, with Luke Hedges and Julia Roberts doing some of their best work in the most subtle of ways. Both are desperate and hopeful at the same time. The real question for both is, which emotion will win out?
The flick touches on some of the more obvious problems in the opioid epidemic. Big Pharma's hypocrisy is exposed when we see a pharmacist selling an addict a syringe, but refusing to sell Narcan to the addict's mother who wants to have it on hand in the event her child overdoses. We see the devastating effects of addiction on the mental health of those most deeply involved in the world of addiction. And throughout the film we see how cautious optimism can cause overwhelming emotional damage to the family structure.
The first half of Ben is Back is strong, with top-shelf performances by Hedges and Roberts. Courtney B. Vance and Katheryn Newton are terrific in supporting roles: each exemplifies in different ways the conflict of family members who want to believe -- but are afraid to believe -- in the recovery of an addict.
The second half of Ben is Back is less compelling. A McGuffin designed around a stolen pet is used to get Roberts and Hedges into a complicated plotline involving drug dealers. It's designed to show the audience the day-to-day lifestyle of a drug addict and the peripheral damage that lifestyle has on others. But, it feels convoluted as it morphs into something akin to Ben is Back meets A Christmas Carol.
The ghosts of addicts past and future take a little shine off an otherwise compelling film.
In 2016, WV experienced the nation's highest rate of death by opioid overdose: more than 43 deaths per 100,000 people.
The opioid epidemic in WV results from a perfect storm of causes that includes a challenging economy, geographic isolation, an under-developed infrastructure, insufficient health and wellness resources, etc. Perhaps the biggest influence, however, is greed. You want an example? In a 10 month span, a major drug company shipped over 3,000,000 prescription opioids to a single pharmacy located in the small town of Kermit, WV.
Kermit, WV has a population of just about 400 people.
Ben is Back tells the story of a young man on a brief holiday leave from an in-house drug recovery program. The movie has a strong ensemble, with Luke Hedges and Julia Roberts doing some of their best work in the most subtle of ways. Both are desperate and hopeful at the same time. The real question for both is, which emotion will win out?
The flick touches on some of the more obvious problems in the opioid epidemic. Big Pharma's hypocrisy is exposed when we see a pharmacist selling an addict a syringe, but refusing to sell Narcan to the addict's mother who wants to have it on hand in the event her child overdoses. We see the devastating effects of addiction on the mental health of those most deeply involved in the world of addiction. And throughout the film we see how cautious optimism can cause overwhelming emotional damage to the family structure.
The first half of Ben is Back is strong, with top-shelf performances by Hedges and Roberts. Courtney B. Vance and Katheryn Newton are terrific in supporting roles: each exemplifies in different ways the conflict of family members who want to believe -- but are afraid to believe -- in the recovery of an addict.
The second half of Ben is Back is less compelling. A McGuffin designed around a stolen pet is used to get Roberts and Hedges into a complicated plotline involving drug dealers. It's designed to show the audience the day-to-day lifestyle of a drug addict and the peripheral damage that lifestyle has on others. But, it feels convoluted as it morphs into something akin to Ben is Back meets A Christmas Carol.
The ghosts of addicts past and future take a little shine off an otherwise compelling film.
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