"The Kids Are All Right" Review

Movie relationships rarely feel real. Some films try to mirror reality, but quickly fail due to their own superficiality. These films often lack the courage to address the messy emotional complications of human relationships. It’s understandable why major studios refuse to finance films that actually address our human fragility. Audiences want an escape when they go to the theater, not a meaningful representation of real life. But by sanitizing human relationships and failing to address our emotional complexity, aren’t we robbing art of its primary purpose? Sure, movies are meant as entertainment, but it’s sad when people refuse to see them as something more.

Thankfully, some films still dare to be more than just entertainment. “The Kids Are All Right,” directed by Lisa Cholodenko, does just that. While the film has its flaws and is not quite as good as this year’s other relationship dramedy “Please Give,” it still presents emotionally complicated characters in an artful way.

In “The Kids Are All Right,” Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), a lesbian couple, are enjoying their summer with their two kids, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson). Joni, now eighteen, is begged by Laser to set a meeting with their biological father, Paul (Mark Ruffalo). While kids try to keep this secret from the Moms, Nic and Jules eventually meet their former sperm donor and much complication ensues.

But a simple plot summary can’t quite convey the emotional complexity of “The Kids Are All Right.” This film is wonderfully written. Filled with quick-witted humor and truthful, sometimes painful, observations, it’s easily one of the best scripts of the year. But it’s the film’s excellent ensemble that truly sells the material. The film’s three adult actors (Bening, Moore, and Ruffalo) all bring their A-game, and the two kids (Wasikowska and Hutcherson) more than hold their own.

But, for my money, the film’s stand-out performances belong to Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore. Ruffalo, who rarely gets meaty roles, always shines in small supporting characters. In “The Kids Are All Right,” he is finally given a chance to show off his acting chops in a more substantial role. Ruffalo’s style is so natural that you forget you’re watching a fictional character. Emphasizing Paul’s laidback personality, as well as his secret yearning to be a father, Ruffalo elicits both laughs and sympathy from the audience. Julianne Moore (“Far From Heaven,” “The Big Lebowski”) also delivers a superb performance as the artsy, conflicted Jules. While Jules does not have the forceful personality of Nic (clearly the family’s bread winner), she is easily the gentler of the two Moms, but also the least grounded in reality. Moore conveys this artsy airiness with much humor and subtlety, while also clueing the audience to Jules’ low self-esteem, especially when compared to her significant other.

To single out Moore and Ruffalo is not to slight the film’s other performances, which are also fantastic. Part of what makes Lisa Cholodenko’s direction so sublime is her attention to the film’s acting. While credit must be given to the film’s actors for nailing such complex roles, Cholodenko must have played an instrumental role in making sure the film’s relationships felt authentic.

While Cholodenko gave special attention to the acting, the film’s pacing ultimately suffers. Once the film enters its second act, many scenes felt redundant and, in turn, the film begins to drag. Thankfully, Cholodenko makes up for this pacing lag with an emotionally charged final act.

Also, while the film is laced with wonderful humor throughout, unfortunately not all of it works. A few segments tip too far into “sitcom” territory for my liking, and one segment involving a Hispanic landscaper is almost offensive. Fortunately, Cholodenko and fellow screenwriter Stuart Blumberg keep most of the film’s laughs rooted in character interactions.

Aside from a few minor misgivings, “The Kids Are All Right” succeeds at being a heartfelt comedy without resorting to stock characters or cliché plot lines. It’s a film that refuses to sanitize, commercialize, or politicize (the film never brings up the contentious gay marriage debate) any of its characters. And, perhaps more importantly, it has the ability to make its audience laugh and cry – sometimes simultaneously. Unlike most films churned out by the Hollywood machine, “The Kids Are All Right” wants to do more than just entertain.

B+