Lisa Cholodenko’s The Kids Are All Right is one of those films that’s fun to watch at the cinema, just for the appreciative reactions of the audience. I’m sure I saw a few eyes being wiped during its emotional yet happy ending, too. During the first few minutes of the film, I wasn’t entirely convinced by Julianne Moore and Annette Bening as a lesbian couple: Julianne Moore in particular seemed false and artificial in the role. Either the acting improved, or I became accustomed to a pairing that is all too rare in mainstream American cinema (or cinema in general, for that matter). By the end of the film, Moore and Bening made an incredibly believable couple, making it no wonder that the audience became utterly emotionally involved.
Bening’s character, Nic, is strong and driven: as a doctor, she is the bread-earner of the family. Moore plays Jules, who dabbles in various jobs without being overly concerned about success in any of them. They have two teenage kids, Joni and Laser: both Nic and Jules gave birth to one child, using the same sperm donor, Paul. The film’s drama centres around Paul, who comes into the family’s life after 18 years of anonymity.
Throughout the film Bening was more compelling and likeable in her role. Although Nic could be a little too stern, her softer side was equally on show: she was clearly shaken by the changes taking place in her family. Moore’s character, although endearing to a degree, was irritating to about an equal degree, so it may have been this characteristic that grated with me at the beginning. The film extends the contrast between Nic and Jules to gently mock the type of laid-back Californian devoted to local, organic produce, composting and the latest health craze at Whole Foods.
Aside from Bening’s acting, the film’s real joy is its script, which is stimulating for its sheer originality: it is like Juno in that way, but a bit less quirky. Instead of focusing on counter-culture characters and placing its sympathy entirely with them, the film features a range of characters and highlights the idiosyncrasies, obsessions and sensitivities of all. Although the dialogue is believable, there is a perpetual supply of lines that surprise and entertain. There are parts that you can’t quite believe have made it into a mainstream film: The Kids Are All Right casually incorporates them into its narrative, which manages to retain a Hollywood feel even though it is so fresh and different. This film is truly one of the highlights of the festival, and will definitely make it into my top five in the forthcoming wrap-up review.
