Review of The Kids Are All Right (2010) by Holly B — 05 Nov 2011

Academy Award nominee Lisa Cholodenko co-writes and directs this Best Picture nominee about a same-sex couple and their two children attempting to reconcile with the children's biological father. As intriguing as the plot is, the weakest part of the film is the script.

Cholodenko and co-writer Stuart Blumberg do a decent job sticking to the essence of the plot, but they never seem to flesh it out enough to make the film solid and cohesive. As you watch the film, it seems like you are left empty and wanting more.

This really drags the overall film down. And it is a shame, considering the material's potential. However, the strongest aspect of this film is, hands down, the performances. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are fantastic as Nic and Jules, the same-sex couple who are trying to make a decent living with their two children, played by Josh Hutcherson and Mia Wasikowska.

And as dysfunctional as this family in the film is, Bening, Moore, Hutcherson, and Wasikowska are extraordinary. Along with Mark Ruffalo, who plays Paul, the biological father, the actors always rise above the call of duty and all give fine performances.

Overall, a valiant, yet very thin effort.