The Kids Are All Right

“The Kids Are All Right,” a recently released film directed by Lisa Cholodenko, explores what family really means and the relationships of a family as it is being torn apart. Lesbian partners Jules and Nic, played by Julianne Moore and Annette Bening, together for twenty-something years have two teenage children conceived from the same sperm donor. Their daughter, Joni (Mia Wasikowska), a recent high school graduate is persuaded by her younger brother Laser (Josh Hutcherson) to find out the identity of their biological father. After initial contact with sperm donor Paul (Mark Ruffalo), the children and Jules begin to find themselves drawing him further into their family, as Nic feels herself being pushed further and further away.

The most wonderful part of this movie comes from the feeling of reality that is created with the story and the characters. Julianne Moore and Annette Bening perfectly play the couple reaching mid-life, mid-marriage crisis, relatable to all audiences, gay or straight. We see the tediousness that can come with years of marriage, as well as the love and devotion. The movie embraces Moore and Bening’s age beautifully. Fifty and fifty-two respectively, these two are not young hot lesbians being sexualized; but aged (though definitely not old) women and there are no attemptsat hiding it. This makes the movie feel that much more real, as though you are looking at your own parents. The children also fall so perfectly into their roles. Mia Wasikowska, playing Joni, an 18-year-old girl just learning about the difference between life with parents and the independence of being an “adult” going to college, acts the exact same way I did when I graduated high school and realized that soon I was going to be able to do things the way I wanted to. And Josh Hutcherson, while looking a bit too old for 15, is the classic afterschool special learning about peer pressure and how to be true to yourself. As for Mark Ruffalo, it’s nice to see him in a role where he is used to his full potential. I seldom dislike him, but sometimes his characters seem to fade into the background whether or not it’s a lead role. But in this film he embraces a wide range of emotions and expressions that give his role a more memorable substance.

The humor of the film also helps keep it grounded in the real world. Lately most comedy seems to rely on over the top, out of control scenarios where we find ourselves laughing at the misfortunes of others. “The Kids” finds comedy in everyday occurrences, like a game of Scrabble or way kids look at their parents when they find them embarrassing. The audience feels as though they are sitting at the family’s dinner table too, sharing the character’s experiences.

As the movie progresses into the more emotional, family torn apart drama the audience acquires a very well-developed understanding of the way each relationship in the family works between each mother and the kids, Paul and the kids, Paul and the mothers and the kids themselves. No relationship is really left unexplored and this allows for well-rounded characters and allows the audience to understand how each person’s story plays out.

The film’s only shortcoming seemed to come from the very end (which is hard to discuss without spoilers). The ending seems too easy and abrupt, with the weight of the story shifting to another earlier tangent that didn’t seem as relevant. Everyone either seems to get exactly what they want or they are left standing in the dust, everything seems almost too resolved after such an emotional spiral.

As I was watching this movie, I found myself wondering if this was really the genre of movie I enjoyed. Should I give up my desire for senseless action movies and cult classic mind benders and just stick to stories that talk about real life? Do I really like movies where people sit around eating, drinking, discussing their feelings and sometimes crying about those feelings? And then I realized that no, I don’t really like those movies, but “The Kids Are All Right” is a delightful, humorous, and interesting look at life that seamlessly engulfs the audience in a movie where they feel somehow involved but can still sit just far enough back to realize they are enjoying the story of someone else’s life.

And here's the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/user/FocusFeatures?v=RixlpHKfb6M&feature=pyv&ad=5892204796&kw=the%20kids%20alright