The Kids Are All Right (2010)
By thisguyoverhere | July 9, 2010
Cast: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo
Directed by: Lisa Cholodenko
Written by: Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Jules and Nic (short for Julie and Nicole) have spent the last eighteen years raising their two children together, through better or worse, sickness and in health. Now at the inquisitive age of fifteen, their youngest Laser senses he is missing something in his life, and continually seeks out male companionship to fill the void in his life. Confronting his sister, they decide to contact Paul, the sperm donor to their momses, to obtain an insight into their lives. When Paul turns out to be interesting and fun, the family finds itself both welcoming and resisting him into their world.
There have been a lot of strides made in incorporating gay culture into mainstream cinema over the last decade. Films like Milk and Brokeback Mountain have dealt with the issue head-on, but The Kids Are All Right tends to take a different direction. As brilliant as the aforementioned films might be, they still depict homosexuality as outside the norm. This film might be the first to depict homosexuality within the context of a working family unit.
The cast of The Kids Are All Right (2010)
This film is about bigger issues than the fact that it centers around a lesbian couple. In fact, Cholodenko seems adamant about getting the distracting stuff out of the way early on, (Moore and Bening kissing, calling each other honey, holding hands), so that it doesn’t hinder the material being presented. Cholodenko and co-writer Stuart Blumberg have a message larger than “we’re gay and we’re here to stay”. Instead they seem to want to show that gay or straight, it is damn difficult to keep up a family.
Bening and Moore are absolutely winning in their respective roles. Both have had their ups and downs this decade, but in this film they simultaneously show why they have been household names for so long. Ruffalo also puts in another compelling performance as the sperm donor proving once again that he endlessly deserves more attention than he receives.
The Kids Are All Right is a wonderful depiction of the New American Family.
USA. 106 minutes. Rated R.
