Review of The Kids Are All Right (2010) by James W — 21 Jun 2013

Finally, I had a chance to see Lisa Cholodenko's drama which was written by her and Stuart Blumberg. This movie was Sundance 2010's breakout hits, and it won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and Annette Bening won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress / Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. You will witness some of the better developed characters in a story which was almost perfectly built up in the first two thirds. Unique and bold, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are a married lesbian couple living in California. They have each given birth to a child using the same sperm donor. The younger child Laser (Josh Hutcherson) wants to find his sperm donor but has to be 18 to do so. He persuades his 18-year-old sister Joni (Mia Wasikowska) to contact the sperm bank and determines that Paul (Mark Ruffalo) is the donor. They meet... and they liked each other! But, the things are soon going to be more complicated!

I loved everything about this movie: well-acted ensemble piece, smooth directing, smart, warm statement on family values, but it has the reason behind it... based in L.A., where the film is set, Cholodenko and her longtime female partner have a four-year-old son, Calder, to whom she gave birth by way of an anonymous sperm donor. She explained that she was curious to know the father, but he must legally remain anonymous, until only the kids when they turn 18 can have access to that information. Later all that was used in a screenplay which was refreshing and invigorating for the spirit, capturing the zeitgeist of our challenged era and at the same time telling us that the really important things defy time. Strongly recommended for art lovers.