The Kids are All Right

It can't be easy making a family comedy nowadays. The idea of the "nuclear family" is long gone, replaced by assortments that wouldn't have been recognized or tolerated just not that long ago. The trick becomes to make a family comedy that's universal, encompassing themes that all can relate to regardless of configuration. The Kids are All Right features one that's more common nowadays. Two strong, beautiful lesbian women: the somewhat domineering and insecure Nic(Annette Bening), and the flighty Jules(Julianne Moore). They've been together for years, with two kids: the oddly named Laser(Josh Hutcherson), and Joni(Mia Wasikowska). Both were born from the sperm of the same anonymous donor.

Joni's on the verge of leaving for college, and the pain of one of their kids leaving the nest is eating Nic and Jules up. It doesn't help that she's starting to get a little headstrong and curious about her father. At her brother's urging, Joni makes a call to the clinic and sets up a meeting with her ghost dad. Enter Paul(Mark Ruffalo), the father they never knew they had. Paul's a nice enough guy, with his own restaurant and a penchant for the ladies. He and the kids immediately take a liking to eachother, which doesn't sit well with either of the two moms.

The Kids Are All Right was written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, who splashed onto the scene back in 1998 with the sexually charged High Art, which also dealt with a lesbian relationship on a totally different path than this one. The trick here is that Cholodenko never makes the film about homosexuality, or the attempt to convince us that "unconventional" families can be just like any other. Instead, they are treated like any other right from the beginning. They have the same problems, the same insecurities, and the same highs and lows. It all comes off very naturally without a hint of heavy handed messaging.

You expect Bening and Moore to be at the top of their game. They always are. Bening in particular is doing the best work she's done since 2004's Being Julia, even as we see her in a totally unfamiliar way, short hair and butched up. Moore has always been a personal favorite(hey, she's a redhead), and she's at her best when playing characters racked with self doubt. A single look from her eyes instantly makes me feel for her, no matter what she's done. The big surprise for me was Wasikowska. She kinda got lost in Tim Burton's madcap world of Alice in Wonderland, but she redeems herself here, holding her own opposite two heavyweights. As much as I like Josh Hutcherson, he has a tendency to fade into the background a little bit. It happens here too in the second half of the film. Not really his fault, but it seems to be a recurring issue.

The biggest surprise for me was how funny this was. Not that I was expecting a somber story, but the comedy is effortless. A lot of that has to do with Ruffalo's comedic timing, a proven veteran at this point. There's something rough and unpredictable about him, and his awkward scenes with Moore in particular are hilarious.  Some sitcom humor does slip in at certain points, and there's a pretty big plot twist that shakes things up in a major way. You can either choose to roll with it or not. Without giving anything away, one of the two mothers makes a pretty big leap in judgement. I for one thought it made sense, or at least that it was sold to us in a believable manner.

The Kids Are All Right is more than just all right. It's an emotionally honest, well-written gem featuring two phenomenal performances by two of Hollywood's best actresses and one who is well on her way.