Movie Notes: The Kids Are All Right
= 5 stars
Starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo
Directed by Lisa Cholodenko
Synopsis
Lesbian couple Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are caught by surprise when teenage son Radar (Josh Hutcherson) and daughter Joni (Mia Wasikowska) contact their sperm donor father, Paul (Mark Ruffalo). Hilarity ensues.
The Good
- Solid acting: Benning and Moore make a convincing duo, juggling relationship problems while raising two teenage kids. Ruffalo is great as the previously-unknown father, a scruffy, organic-everything dude running an eatery with the all-too-approriate name “WYSIWYG.” And Wasikowska’s acting prowess was completely CGI-obscured in Alice In Wonderland.
- Every character seems genuine, through organic dialogue within casual arguments, or the crushingly blunt manner in which teenagers mumble amongst themselves (even the dorkier teens toss off dialogue that unknowingly critiques the surrounding, distracted adults: “sexualizing everything.”).
- Awkward comedy: son Laser being mistaken for being gay (which knowing his parentage, shouldn’t be that big a deal), who is revealed as a Joni Mitchell fan, and some darker turns like Jules’ animalistic attraction — she already bore Paul’s child; that “donation” could certainly be repeated more efficiently.
- Cholodenko’s direction: there’s a sunny contrast between Paul’s sweaty garden and the Nic and Jules’ suburban, domestic enclave, plus some cool moments like the sound dropping out during a revelation, and abrupt, sometimes funny editing eliminating that which we already know happened.
The Bad
- Slightly shrug-inducing ending; although I found comfort in how Joni takes a particular piece of clothing to college, and the acknowledgement that this family needs nothing external to endure.
Conclusion
A rarity where casting, characters, plot, and direction all form a largely satisfying package of comedy and drama. Yes, it’s a complicated world, but there’s deeper humor in the struggles of the parents who made this complex bed are still figuring out the best way to lie in it — while the kids have more or less adapted — they’re generally well-adjusted. One of my favorite films this year, that felt as organic as Paul’s garden, like life itself unfolding.
IMDB: The Kids Are All Right
Wikipedia: The Kids Are All Right
Rotten Tomatoes: The Kids Are All Right 96%