Ben Is Back

When Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges) unexpectedly returns home from rehab on Christmas Eve, his mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), welcomes him with open arms. His teenage sister, Ivy, and stepfather, Neal, are more skeptical. Holly moves to hide everything in her medicine cabinet and institutes an eye-always-on-Ben rule. He can't even go to the bathroom without an open door. Though the family are encouraged by Ben's sobriety, they're also incredibly apprehensive, waiting for him to fall back into old habits at any minute. Ben does his best to settle back into family life, playing with his younger half-brother and half-sister, and his beloved dog. But home is not just a place of happy Christmas memories, it also serves as a constant reminder of the tidal wave of damage and pain caused by his disease. Ben is unsure if he'll be able to return to happier times, but Holly will stop at nothing to get them back. (Toronto International Film Festival)