With a fantastic script, excellent performances, and interesting subject matter, The Kids Are All Right, directed by Lisa Cholodenko, manages to be both heart-warming and emotionally wringing. Without giving too much away, this is the story of a family with two moms, Nic and Jules (Annette Benning and Julianne Moore) and their two kids, Laser and Joni (Josh Hutcherson and Mia Wasikowska). The movie doesn’t waste any time in jumping into the plot. Joni calls their biological father, Paul (Mark Ruffalo), and wants to meet. Paul meets the kids, who not surprisingly want to see him again. This starts the ball rolling, and he next meets their parents and needless to say his intro into their lives causes the family some stress and problems.
I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot because the movie took an interesting turn about halfway through and I felt that every character didn’t get their catharsis. But the script managed to balance the dramatic aspects and comedy quite well. I was surprised at how funny it actually is. I mean the story was based on some heavy topics like child rearing, sexuality, and drugs, but the characters were so realized that it just seemed normal.
The cast was wonderful. As I left the theater, I thought about how stereotypical those characters could have been in lesser hands. Mia and Josh played rebellious children in an unusual family very well, capturing the nuances of what it’s like to test a parent. Mark Ruffalo steamed up the screen as Paul; he brought such naturalistic ability to this part. His chemistry with the other principles was amazing and he was the unsung hero of the film. I wanted more of him because every time he was on screen the film got a lift. And what more can be said about Annette and Julianne playing the lesbian moms? They were fantastic and these roles were made for two actresses of their caliber. Annette, playing the perfectionist doctor mom, and Julianne, playing the earthy landscape designer, each rise above the material. One of their climatic scenes at the end of this film reminded me that even though the script is great, it still takes great actors to bring the words strength.
This movie is sure to be an awards player. I could very easily see Annette, Julianne, and Mark getting acting nominations and the script will surely be in play for Best Original Screenplay. The only issue I see (and will talk about in a later post) is where the women will place. They are truly co-leads so category confusion could be an issue.
But awards season is a ways away, so just bask in this fun film.
A-