A few years ago, a movie like The Kids Are All Right would have caused a lot of consternation in the media. “A movie about lesbians? Lesbians with children? Lesbians with well-adjusted children? Liberal Hollywood has gone TOO FAR!” Such sentiments can still be found in the more conservative portions of the Internet, but perhaps it’s a sign of progress that Kids hasn’t sparked much controversy and is instead being hailed as one of the movies that might have saved the summer movie season from being a complete disappointment.
Nic and Jules (Annette Benning and Julianne Moore) are a couple with two teenage children, Joni and Laser, who were conceived with the help of an anonymous sperm donor. They live a comfortably middle-class life somewhere in California. Their marriage isn’t perfect; Nic is a driven physician who sometimes enjoys her wine a little too much and Jules bounces from one business idea to the next, but they’re committed to each other. Meanwhile, Laser has become curious about their biological father and persuades Joni (who just turned 18) to contact the sperm bank to get contact information for the donor. They eventually connect with Paul (Mark Ruffalo), an aging and somewhat self-absorbed hipster who just happens to live nearby. Paul soon meets the whole family and complications soon ensue.
The movie goes to some fairly dark places, but the writers don’t let the story get mired in tragedy. That’s not to say the movie is without flaws. The event precipitating the conflict (I’m trying to avoid spoilers) is forced and pushes the boundaries of willing suspension of disbelief. But the otherwise clever script and compelling performances (especially Benning’s) are enough for me to add Kids to my “recommended” list.
