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Being a family isn’t easy. Whether you come from the perfect nuclear family or a broken, blended concoction, you know that it takes a whole lot of hard work, love, and determination—from each and every family member—to hold a family together.
In the festival darling drama The Kids Are All Right, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) seem to have the perfect family. Their daughter, Joni (Mia Wasikowska), is a smart young woman who’s about to head off to college. And their son, Laser (Josh Hutcherson), is a quiet, athletic 15-year-old who’s struggling to find his identity.
Like their kids, Nic and Jules are complete opposites—Nic is strict and structured, while Jules is easy-going and spontaneous. Despite their differences, though, they love each other—and they love their kids. But their perfectly normal family life is shaken up when Joni and Laser decide to contact the sperm donor who made their family possible.
Paul (Mark Ruffalo) is a motorcycle-riding college dropout who owns a restaurant. Flighty but lovable, he’s lived his life from job to job, from casual relationship to casual relationship. But now he has a family—something he never knew he wanted.
From the beginning, Nic resents Paul’s intrusion into her family. But as Jules feels the distance growing between her and Nic, she finds comfort and support—and maybe more—from her kids’ dad.
The Kids Are All Right offers an unconventional twist on the usual family drama. The story, however, is universal. Though Nic and Jules are lesbians in a committed relationship, this isn’t a movie about being gay—no more than a movie like Rachel Getting Married is about being straight. Instead, it’s simply a movie about being a family—for better or for worse.
The gifted cast members do a wonderful job of giving the story an easy, honest feel—but Bening and Moore make it all come together. They’re so natural in their performances—with such a comfortable, easy-going chemistry—that you’ll have no problem buying into their relationship. Though their characters aren’t always likable (especially Nic, who’s often stern and abrasive), they seem so sincere—such an adorable couple, such caring, concerned parents—that you’ll fall in love with them in spite of their flaws.
The Kids Are All Right is a story about real people in real relationships—not Hollywood characters in Hollywood relationships. The characters aren’t stereotypes, and they don’t always do the things that you might expect (or agree with)—so the film isn’t always easy to watch. It isn’t entirely satisfying, either. But, well, neither is real life. And, like any other family, Nic, Jules, and their kids just have to muddle their way through and hope for the best.
Marriage, careers, kids—it’s all awkward, messy, difficult stuff. And writer/director Lisa Cholodenko captures those awkward, messy, difficult moments in a way that feels completely genuine. So you don’t have to be a part of an unconventional family to relate; you just have to be human.
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