Susan Granger’s review of “The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features)
For most of us, family comes first. But the definition of what constitutes a family has been altered and extended in recent years. Additional people and more variations in alternative lifestyles invariably lead to more complications – and that’s what Lisa Cholodenko explores in this latest addition to the seemingly endless chronicle of mid-life crises.
Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) have been married for nearly 20 years, each bearing a child by artificial insemination. While Jules is a dedicated, intensely driven and controlling doctor, stay-at-home Nic has experimented with various careers and is now into eco-conscious landscaping. But their self-involved, seemingly ordinary, suburban Southern California existence is threatened when their inquisitive teenagers – Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) – secretly decide to make contact with the anonymous sperm donor who is their biological father. Astonished and admittedly intrigued, roguish Paul (Mark Ruffalo) is a hippie-like local restaurateur who rides a motorcycle and does organic gardening. Inevitably, their first encounter is tentative and awkward but soon the kids are enjoying hanging out with him. Eventually, overly protective Jules and Nic find out and insist that easygoing Paul come home to dinner – and that leads to Paul engaging Nic to renovate his overgrown back yard. After that, the plot twists and turns with somewhat improbable yet compelling complications.
Working from an original screenplay that director Lisa Cholodenko (“High Art,” “Lauren Canyon”) wrote with Stuart Blumberg (“Keeping the Faith”), it’s glibly intelligent, often hilarious, beautifully photographed and creatively challenging in that the effectiveness of this character-driven, rite-of-passage comedic drama emanates from the quirky yet convincing performances. Julianne Moore is endearingly vulnerable while Annette Bening astonishes with her bravura style and Mark Ruffalo captures the sweetly poignant wistfulness of a perennial bachelor. The sensitive ensemble is completed by the competence of Mia Wasikowska (Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”) and Josh Hutcherson (“Bridge to Terabithia”).
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Kids Are All Right” is a feel-good, unconventional 8, grappling with commitment issues inherent in long term relationships.
