The kids might be all right, but the adults certainly aren’t in “The Kids Are All Right,” starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. Director Lisa Cholodenko, who wrote the script with Stuart Blumberg, sensitively tells a universal tale about the difficulties that can arise in any family regardless of its structure. And she resists wrapping everything up in a neat bow at the end although the conclusion is satisfying nonetheless. Joni (Mia Wasikowska) is 18 and about to leave for college. Laser (Josh Hutcherson) is her 15-year old half-brother. The two share the same father, but have different mothers. Joni’s biological mom is Nic (Bening) while Laser’s mom is Jules (Moore). Nic and Jules, lesbian spouses with more than 20 years together, conceived their children through artificial insemination using an anonymous donor. Now that Joni is of legal age, she approaches the sperm bank with a request to meet her biological father. Aging hippie Paul (Ruffalo) is a bit taken aback to discover that he has two grown children, but he’s curious enough to agree to meet them. While Joni, Laser and Jules seem to get along with Paul, Nic is resentful and suspicious. Things are further complicated when Jules and Paul have an affair.
That the spouses are the same sex hardly matters when it comes to examining the dynamics of a marital relationship. Nic, a doctor, is the classic A type personality – controlling and inflexible while Jules is more submissive and believes that Nic doesn’t appreciate her any more. Because Jules is not getting the affection and attention that she craves from Nic, Paul becomes a handy substitute. The performances are all top notch. Bening’s Nic is a strong-willed, though emotionally vulnerable, workaholic. Moore is excellent as her more open-minded partner. Ruffalo has the most difficult role, to make an immature, womanizing free spirit into a sympathetic person. And Wasikowska and Hutcherson are believable as sensitive, well-adjusted teens. “The Kids Are All Right” is smart, sexy, hopeful, and above all, entertaining. 7/23/10
1 comment:
I have not seen a movie in a long time that I came out of the theater thinking that all the main characters deserved Oscar recognition. this definitly is one of those films. Mark Ruffalo is outstanding as the sperm donor with the need for a family. Go see this flick, its deserving.
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