The Kids Are All Right Review: The Kids Are All Right is....Well...All Right

Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right is a fun, truthful portrait of an alternative family that, in a very refreshing turn, never places exploring the sexuality of the characters above telling a worthwhile story.

Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are a lesbian couple with two teenaged kids, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson). Joni and Laser are half-siblings, as both their mothers used the same sperm donor to conceive. Laser really wants to meet his biological father but is too young to contact the sperm bank. So he convinces Joni, who is eighteen, to do it. The bank puts them in touch and Joni and Laser go to meet Paul (Mark Ruffalo), their sperm donor, without the knowledge of their mothers. Paul connects with the kids and wants to spend more time with them. As Paul is introduced into the life of the family, he throws off the balance and forces them to deal with issues that have been living beneath the surface.

The real shining element in this film are the performances. Annette Bening is wonderful as a controlling mother trying to keep a firm grasp on a life that is changing in all kinds of ways. Julianne Moore is fantastic as a free spirit hippie chick that is the complete opposite of Nic and a great counterbalance to her. It is also a joy to watch Mark Ruffalo in this movie. As of late, Ruffalo's roles have been mostly somber dramatic pieces. With the role of Paul, an organic, locavore farmer and restauranteur, he seems to be having so much fun playing the alternative, crunchy granola character. Both Wasikowska and Hutcherson do a great job with the parts they have been given as the children in this family drama.

And that is precisely what this movie is: a family drama. It isn't a gay family drama. This is a very refreshing notion. So often, these stories about homosexual lifestyles focus more on the lifestyle than on the story at hand. The Kids Are All Right doesn't do this. It acknowledges that characters are gay and then moves on without a second thought. The story isn't about whether or not these kids need a man in their life, it is about two parents trying to deal with the changing lives of their two teenage children. These are universal struggles. Nic and Jules deal with the same problems that any heterosexual parents would have to deal with. It was really refreshing to see a story that shows us how we are all the same instead of how we are all different, uniting instead of dividing.

Although, the film does drift into stereotype several times. However, not stereotypes of homosexuality but of alternative lifestyles. For instance, the daughter is named Joni and there is actually a backstory given to her name, but the son is named Laser. Laser. And no backstory is ever given on this name. It comes off as if Cholodenko was operating under the notion that these characters live alternative to the mainstream so, of course, they would name their kid something odd like Laser. Perhaps, it was supposed to be played for laughs but that kind of obvious, on the nose joke is below this film. Also, as much fun as it is to watch Ruffalo, his character can come of as parody a little too strongly at times.

It is worth noting that the complaints I have voiced are centered around the male characters. In truth, the male characters are handle pretty poorly in this film. Ruffalo has a large part but, ultimately, is hung out to try when it comes to the resolution of his character. He is left stranded in a way that is unsatisfying for the story as a whole. But he fairs much better than the son. Laser is a completely wasted character. After being the impetus to find Paul and bring him into their lives, he nearly vanishes for the story. There is very little insight into the inner life of the character. He seems sort of upset sometimes, but it is never quite clear what about. There are a few scenes of just Laser and Paul interacting one on one but nothing really ever comes of these interactions. They feel as if they are inserted through obligation rather than necessity.

The complete opposite is true of Joni. Joni is given a very rich relationship with Paul, a relationship that stimulates growth and makes her begin to come into her own as a young adult headed for college. Joni's thoughts and frustrations and anger and curiosities and alive in rich detail, making the shallowness of Laser even more apparent and disappointing.

But this is film co-written and directed by a woman, Lisa Cholodenko, bringing her insight on life from a woman's perspective. And the woman in this film are all unique, richly developed, three dimensional characters. In a cinematic world where women characters are so often shallow and underdeveloped, I can hardly fault Cholodenko for choosing to give that treatment to the men in favor of developing the women.

The Kids Are All Right is a film that is quite funny and really enjoyable. It has moments of great dramatic tension but balances those out fairly well with the humor. Ultimately, it is a film that feels very truthful to the struggles that all families must face, and in facing them, become a stronger, closer unit. Regardless of who the parents are.