The Kids are All Right (2010)

Content by Tony Macklin. Originally published on July 16, 2010 @ tonymacklin.net.

The Kids Are All Right is a sudsy soap opera. It's a concoction of lilac water and spermatozoa -- with lots of wine and whine.

The Kids Are All Right is the story of a contemporary lesbian family. When the two children -- 15-year old Laser and 18-year old Joni -- seek contact with their moms' sperm donor, the dysfunction hits the fan.

The best elements of The Kids Are All Right are the acting and direction. They are "fecund." The five major roles are well-personified. Julianne Moore plays Jules, the vulnerable, passionate mom, and Annette Bening is Nic, the off-putting, neurotic, controlling mom of the family.

Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson are winning as the siblings.

As sperm donor and free spirit Paul, Mark Ruffalo puts away his patented puppy dog expression for most of the movie, although the writers leave his role in shambles at the end. Go away, Mark, we've used your services.

Lisa Cholodenko (her Laurel Canyon in 2002 may have been a better film) directed and co-wrote The Kids Are All Right. Her direction is strong -- the lengthy close-up of Annette Bening's face after Nic discovers that her partner had sex with someone else is brilliant, as is Bening's muted, hysterical expression.

The writing by Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg is less strong. For instance, although it may have actually happened, a scene with a dog seems contrived in the movie.

And after all the high drama, The Kids Are All Right settles for a negligible ending.

We had to endure all that anguish and self-pity to find out at the end that "marriage is hard"?

Maybe the message of The Kids Are All Right is that lesbians can use cliches, too.