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.

This Times story about the drastic budget cuts state and local governments are enacting has been on my mind since I read it last week. In better times, most people could comfortably advocate for spending cuts because they had little reason to worry that those cuts would personally affect them. But now that school weeks are being shortened, street lights are being turned off, and buses are no longer running, the consequences of budget shortfalls are more noticeable to people who never previously considered the role of government in their lives. Most people aren’t going to be happy to pay more taxes to balance those budgets, but they also aren’t going to be happy to live in the midst of crumbling infrastructure (which in turn chases away the employers with the good-paying jobs).

Minnesota has weathered the recession better than many states, but we could be forced to take equally drastic measures if we can’t come up with a responsible solution for our fiscal woes. I like to think that we value our quality of life too much to allow our state to descend into go-it-alone individualism, but then I remember that one of our major political parties nominated a person with just such a philosophy to run for governor. And I start to wonder if I should enjoy my publicly funded one-on-one nursing care while I can.

Count me among the estimated 10% of eligible voters who voted in today’s primary. Holding a primary in August is a strange way to engage potential voters as politics is the furthest thing from most people’s minds at the moment. Kelliher earned my vote because she’s enough of a wonk to grasp the complexities inherent to issues like health care and taxation. And I’m not entirely comfortable with Dayton’s newfound populist evangelism, although it may be enough to put him over the top today. The structural nature of our deficit demands a more comprehensive solution than simply targeting the wealthy and Dayton seems unwilling to take a more nuanced approach. Then again, voters don’t generally reward nuance.

Fresh from the playlist:

“In Ruins” by Fol Chen–This L.A. band is relatively new on the scene, but this song shows that they’re already masters of the pop hook. “In Ruins” is pop with a lot of drama, but it’s not overwrought or pretentious. The female lead doesn’t let her jaded view of love dim her hopes that someone will just take her dancing. Which brings us to our next song…

“Dancing on My Own” by Robyn–For my money, Swedish artist Robyn is one of the best electropop artists of the past decade. Her music is the most delicious ear candy, but it possesses a hint of tartness that separates her stuff from forgettable Top 40 pap. “Dancing on My Own” is a continuation of the crying-on-the-dancefloor vibe that Robyn explored in the gorgeous 2008 single “With Every Heartbeat.” The beat on this one is more upbeat and playful, throwing some mirrorball glitter on the singer’s broken heart.

“Rill Rill” by Sleigh Bells–Sleigh Bells is the buzz band of the moment, turning heads with songs that are densely constructed layers of distortion that stand in stark contrast to the honeyed vocals of singer Alexis Krauss. “Rill Rill” is one the band’s more accessible tracks; a mellow guitar sample melded with Krauss’ dreamy girl-group delivery of lyrics that sound like they might have their origins in a schoolyard chant. There’s a lot going on in this song, but the total effect is blissful summertime pop.

One of my favorite games from last year, Torchlight, is getting a sequel. Torchlight is a hack-and-slash RPG similar to the classic Diablo. It can be played almost entirely with the mouse, which is why it has earned my seal of approval. The game also boasts gorgeous graphics rendered in a vibrant palette. The sequel should be out next year, which is probably when I’ll finally finish the original.