THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Annette Bening is Dr. Nic, a control freak and a perfectionist who is an OB/GYN. She lives with her lover, Jules (Julianne Moore), who has a vested interest in landscaping and has failed at other business opportunities. Jules seeks Nic's approval but she incorrectly thinks that Nic doesn't want her to succeed - she thinks Nic wants her to play the role of the housewife. Both are mothers to two kids, college-bound Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and her younger brother, Laser (Josh Hutcherson), a would-be athlete. The kids were brought into this world by a sperm donor, and the two kids decide to seek him out. The anonymous donor turns out to be an organic farmer and restaurant owner, Paul (Mark Ruffalo), who charms women he works with and sleeps with them. Can he charm Nic and Jules who are not ready to deal with his presence?
This is a good setup for a comedy-drama infused with complications. The writer and director is Lisa Chodolenko, who directed the superior, morose drama back in 1998 called "High Art" (much of this film's story is based on her experiences). Though I have not seen Chodolenko's second film, "Laurel Canyon," "The Kids Are All Right" falls short of conviction. I bought the premise, but not the follow-through. These two women are upset by the finding of this male donor but, slowly, Nic and Jules grow to admire a man who loves food, wine and Joni Mitchell. Jules does the landscaping for Paul's restaurant terrace, and then hops in bed with him! It is these scenes that are clumsily handled and Julianne Moore, who is usually better than the material provided, finds no nuance in her performance as Jules. Jules is shown to be literally stoned and indifferent, no matter the circumstance, and Moore carries both without the slightest shading - it is Moore at her worst since 1997's "The Myth of Fingerprints."
Ruffalo, who has not equaled the work he did in the great family drama "You Can Count on Me," seems as adrift as Moore. He has an aw-shucks mentality that got on my nerves. Paul is a good guy, unquestionably, but Ruffalo fails to ignite the character beyond smiles and a general winsomeness. When he tries to give parental advice and is berated by Nic, he still smiles. The treatment of Paul by Nic and Jules also undermines any real goodwill I had towards this family - what threatens the family almost breaks them and results in an ending that is too cynical for me to accept. I understand why it is there, given the nature of the sexual orientation of the couple (and the fact that lesbians and/or gays have not been treated well in Hollywood for decades), but it is dramatically unsatisfying.
The one performance that stands out is Annette Bening, who does bring nuance, shadings and forcefulness to Nic. She has authority, strength but is not completely invulnerable. Bening makes every scene count. And I will give kudos to Mia Wasikowska who is more alive than in any frame of "Alice in Wonderland."
I liked portions of "The Kids Are All Right" - there are some very pungent and cleverly funny scenes - but I felt underwhelmed by its embryonic narrative and some unconvincing performances. There may an open-ended finale here technically with regards to Paul's fate and the fate of the family, but I don't like openly ambiguous endings that feel like resolutions. It says that this family survives intact, and everyone else that tries to connect with the family is on their own.
