PARTING SHOT
Illustration by BRITT SPENCER
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR CLUES TO THE RISE OF 22-YEAR-OLD LUCAS Hedges, who broke through (and often stole) the 2017 film Manchester by the Sea, begin with his father, Peter, who wrote the screenplays for two films featuring astonishing performances by young actors: 1993’s What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and 2002’s About a Boy, with Nicholas Hoult. He has also written his son’s latest film, Ben Is Back, with Hedges as Ben, a recovering addict who breaks out of a sober-living facility to reconnect with his family for Christmas. His mother, Holly, is played by Julia Roberts, whose devotion is tested when she’s exposed to the truth about her son. Hedges got an Oscar nod for Manchester, and there’s buzz building for Ben too. In doing research for the part, the actor’s views on addiction shifted: “At this point, I wouldn’t just offer unsolicited advice to an addict; that can be very triggering,” Hedges tells Newsweek. “If they were to ask [for help], I’d recommend the 12-step program—I have complete faith in that.”