The Kids Are All Right

I haven't had the chance to say this a lot as of late but I just saw a great film. The Kids Are All Right is a marvelously sneaky little picture about the inner dynamics of what makes a family run and function. Of course this isn't your conventional family but a family nonetheless. The film stars Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) as a gay couple with a two kids. Each woman was artificially insemanated with the sperm of a man, the same man. The film begins with the daughter of the family Joni (played to innocent perfection by newcomer Mia Wasikowska) turning 18. Her younger brother Laser (Josh Hutcherson), only fifteen wants to meet this secret donor but because he is not yet an adult asks his sister to look into it for him. The two quickly arrange a meeting with this man. The man is named Paul played by the always underrated Mark Ruffalo. What follows is a typical family drama of the highest order. Only this is a film that cares greatly for all five of its main characters, each one is allowed space and time to grow. As an avid filmgoer it was a delight to watch a movie that for a change actually cared for its characters and gave them enough dimensions to become fully fleshed out characters. This is a credit to two things; great writing and great acting. The cast is so good that I could conceive of any of the five characters getting Oscar nominations. Its Bening and Ruffalo though who seem to be doing the best work of their career's.
The film was directed by Lisa Cholodenko who co-wrote the screenplay with Stuart Blumberg as well. She's done two other Los Angeles based films already; Laurel Canyon and High Art, so her sense of the city's landscapes and vibe really comes out. Here with Kids she seems to have made a film devoid of any and all controversy. Which is such an astounding accomplishment given the more than polarizing subject matter. I wish that I could say this next quote was my own because it so perfectly sums up the films best quality. As Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "It charms audiences into a state of enlightenment". With that you owe it to yourself to see this film and then show it to your conservative redneck uncle.

A

2010