There’s a scene, about thirty minutes in to The Kids Are All Right, where Jules (played by Julianne Moore) is discussing what to do with Paul’s (Mark Ruffalo) back yard. She tells him, “I’m not feeling minimal. I’m really liking more is more.” She’s talking about landscaping, but it’s a sentiment that I think encapsulates the movie pretty well.
Co-written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, the movie is about what happens when two children, Joni and Laser, raised by a lesbian couple, Jules and Nic, seek out their sperm donor father, Paul.
The kids, played by Mia Wasikoska and Josh Hutcherson are believable. Wasikowska is far less stiff here than in Alice in Wonderland, and she has a pretty touching moment towards the end of the film that shows she can hold her own against the heavyweights. Hutcherson actually shows some real talent as well. Maybe he’ll shy away from drek like Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Vampire’s Assistant in the future.
Cholodenko does a great job of building the tension between the three parents. It’s something anyone who’s ever been on either end of a divorce would instantly recognize. Moore is spot on as the spacey, hippie-lite Jules, and Ruffalo is excellent as Paul, a sort of Fonzie for the modern age. You can really see how his “just-go-with-it, good vibes” mentality makes him a kindred spirit to Jules and at once at odds with Nic.
Which brings me to the absolute star of the film, Annette Benning. She won a Golden Globe for her portrayal as Nic, and if there’s any justice in the universe she’ll be taking home an Oscar as well. Easily the most complicated character in the film, Nic is both the hero and the villain, driving away her family while simultaneously proclaiming they’re all she wants.
The Kids Are All Right is an interesting exploration of an unconventional family, and a study in how we almost actively seek out ways to complicate our own lives.
