"Marriage is hard. Two people, year after year. Sometimes you stop seeing the other person," says the character, Jules. In writer/director Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right, her innovative screeplay explores the world of marriage and parenthood in an unconventional setting. It's a witty and heartfelt story about the bonds that make us a whole, both marital and familial.
The story follows a lesbian couple, Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening), living in Southern California with their two children, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson). Since Joni is about to leave for college, and Laser is aching to have a father figure in his life, they make a call to finally meet their "donor dad." Paul (Mark Ruffalo), an up-and-coming restaurateur, comes into the picture. The family's quiet living soon has to learn to adjust to having the children's father in their lives.
The crown jewel of this indie treasure is the acting from its gifted cast, Moore and Bening in particular. It's difficult to praise one without praising the other at the same time. They are a duo of genuine talent, setting off dramatic and humourous sparks of life. Mia Wasikowska's talent is much more noticable in the film. Seeing as she's not being upstaged by visual effects like earlier this year in Alice in Wonderland, she's given room to branch out, making her one of Hollywood's best newcomers. The acting is so natural throughout the entire cast, that it feels as though you're watching a home video rather than an actual movie.
Lisa Cholodenko's script never preaches its stance on marriage. It's not about gay or straight marriage, what's right or wrong. All it does is share a tale of family dynamics, and the obstacles and rewards of parenthood and marriage. The family shown in the film might seem unconventional, but that's not always the case. Seeing the care and love that the parents express for each other and their children is about as conventional as it gets. It doesn't matter what your views on marriage are before and after you see the film. It's still one of the finest comedies of a modern American family to treat us in a while. And that's coming from a moderate conservative.
Final grade: A
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