“The Kids Are All Right”
Written by Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg. Directed by Lisa Cholodenko; Stars Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson. Story: The children of a lesbian couple seek out their biological father. Nerves become frayed as the father gets more involved in all their lives.
Seen July 24, by Adam Wohl
Adam:
The Kids Are All Right is an enjoyable, albeit predictable slice of life film that could’ve been a TV movie, but nudity, language and other variables makes it naturally suited for the big screen. And by the way, none of those things seem gratuitous. They, like everything else in this film feel real. What’s more, this tale about a lesbian couple (played by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore), their two kids (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) and the man whose sperm donation brought it all together (Mark Ruffalo), never focuses for more than thirty seconds on the fact that this is about a family with gay parents. It’s a modern, American family with the same issues that might arise regardless of there being two moms, two dads, or a mom and a dad.
The kids have typical teen issues; dealing with their parents and their own sexuality as they navigate high school and prepare for adulthood. And the “Moms” have their share of many married couples’ issues: growing older, getting complacent and adultery. Add to that the resentment the moms develop when their kids go behind their back to contact Ruffalo and the subsequent relationship they develop with him and there’s a lot of issues to work through.
As is typical with this kind of family drama, one or more characters eventually act immorally and the dominos begin to fall and there are casualties; this isn’t about happy endings and rainbows, but about real life problems.
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg have written a tight screenplay and Cholodenko has directed her most commercial film to date. The performances are first rate across the board — Bening and Moore excellent, as usual; Ruffalo, who I have a tendency to dislike is better than I’ve ever seen him, and Mia Wasikowska who was lifeless and forgettable as the lead in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is subdued and fantastic here. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. It surprised by pushing a few boundaries, but it never felt too preachy. Properly focused on the issues faced by the characters rather than dwelling on the setting in which the issues have taken place, “Kids” is a portrait of America. It asks whether the youth of today are better prepared to handle adversity than their parents, what it means to grow up and what matters most in the world — where you came from, where you are or where you’re going.
