The Kids Are All Right (2010)

In a case of self-fulfilling prophesy, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT lives up to its title. From everything I’ve been reading, I understand that I should be more enthusiastic about this year’s indie darling, but after having waited this long to finally see this much-buzzed-about film, my reaction to the film was that it features strong performances (none specifically “showy”) and an engaging, verite-flavored script. Those two elements are more than just “all right,” but the direction, comedy and dramatic arc are just, well, all right.

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT is the story of what happens when Joni and Laser, the teenage children of lesbian couple Nic and Jules, decide to seek out their sperm donor/father and integrate him into their lives. There is nothing sorely lacking in their home that causes the kids to seek him out. Rather, they are simply curious. But they know their moms will have a problem with it. Nic (Annette Bening), the biological mother of Joni, is a wine-guzzling alcoholic (though only once is this even casually addressed in the film) and doctor (though we never once see her working) who is controlling and uptight. Jules (Julianne Moore), the biological mother of Lazer, is a free spirit embarking on a landscaping business as the latest in an apparent stream of career dead-ends. In an odd contrast, we see Jules working on numerous occasions, though her job ultimately leads to things that test the resolve of the family unit. (More on that later.)

Enter Paul (Mark Ruffalo), the sperm donor, an organic gardener/restauranteur and apparent one-time hippie. He agrees to meet with his “kids.” Joni (Mia Wasikowska) is charmed by him, while Laser (Josh Hutcherson) is slightly off-put by him. Regardless, they bring him into their lives. The reaction by Nic and Jules is guarded to say the least, particularly on the part of Nic, who views Paul’s entrance into their lives as some apparent parenting failure on their part that the kids would feel incomplete. Jules is slightly more open, eventually befriending Paul and even taking a job landscaping the backyard of his home. Soon enough, Jules and Paul become involved, and within time, everyone else finds out about it.

Much of what people love about this film, I suspect, is the way the film features a gay couple but the conflicts that their family deal with are almost completely “un-gay.” Look how far we’ve come, I can hear people saying, that the main couple having problems with their teenage kids just happen to be lesbians, and that’s not necessarily the focus.

I concur that this is, in fact, quite a sign of the times and America’s growing tolerance. I also think, however, that this factoid might be elevating THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT to a higher status as a piece of filmmaking than perhaps it deserves. I thought the same when I saw “Milk” a few years ago, another story about gay people. That film, in contrast, was decidedly gay, and my criticism of it was ironically almost the opposite of my criticism here. In that film, an indie director went especially mainstream with a story that needed a few more rough edges. I wasn’t convinced that the film couldn’t have been directed by someone other than Gus Van Sant.

KIDS tries to be as “un-gay” as “Milk” was gay, and its mainstream quality is much more admirable. That said, it’s hard to get too worked up about films so dedicated to cinema verite that they eschew some of the storytelling elements unique to film. One of the last ones that fits this bill that I can think of would be something like “Rachel Getting Married.”

The acting performances in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT are universally believable and compelling. Bening and Moore play a couple that appear to have been married for 20 years. Even the requisite “you betrayed me” scene when Nic finds out about Jules’ affair with Paul is played in an understated, hurt way, rather than for Tyler Perry-esque, plate-smashing hysterics. Consequently, it is entirely believable. Bening in particular has been garnering a lot of award season buzz for her performance as Nic, and she is very good. It’s the kind of performance that at first one doesn’t think might deserve such recognition because it is the opposite of flashy in almost every way. But that’s precisely why it’s good. Moore, however, is equally excellent, and for my money, Ruffalo gives the film’s most memorable performance. His Paul is not just some one-dimensional former stoner. Ruffalo brings to life all of this man’s “what-ifs,” curiosities and regrets. He’s fantastic. And the kids mentioned in the title? They are more than just all right. Both Wasikowska (also the lead in this year’s “Alice in Wonderland”) and Hutcherson are likeable and believable.

Writer/director Lisa Cholodenko, working from a script she co-wrote with Stuart Blumberg, makes directing choices that are as understated as the script’s naturally-exposed conflicts. There are no camera shots to remember in the film; her work is the very definition of an indie film like this: shoot the screenplay and that’s it. One can see from this film that Cholodenko is talented at portraying the realities and even some of the more precious mundane moments of a suburban family. So talented, in fact, that the alternative nature of this particular family, with its gay parents and sperm donor, adds not one measurable level of oddity or eccentricity to the film. It feels remarkably normal and natural. And it’s pretty amazing that this can be said, given the social and political climate leading up to this point.

I’m not sure if that alone, however, makes THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT a film worthy of the highest praise. Personally, I fully support Oscar nominations for the script and acting performances, especially those of Bening and Ruffalo. But if the movie doesn’t elevate itself to something more self-important just because the parents happen to be gay, then neither should we, as the viewers, inflate its status based on its handling of that information, however admirable. What you’re left with, then, is a lovely little slice-of-life film, too heavy to be a comedy (as it’s billed) and too light to be melodrama (which is a good thing). It’s a well-navigated, skillfully-executed piece of filmmaking. Nothing fancy. Just all right.

3.0 out of 4