Free willed Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and troublesome teen Laser (Josh Hutcherson) are the offspring of two loving lesbian parents Nic and Jules (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore), both of whom used the same sperm donor in the process. With Joni turning eighteen a new life in college dawns but as she prepares to move she is urged by her brother to make use of her new found adult-hood and secretly contact their ‘momses’ sperm donor and their biological father (Mark Ruffalo). The donor, a single bachelor named Paul, agrees and before long his role within this unconventional family sphere begins to grow; leading to romance and friction in equal proportions.
Written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko , The Kids Are Alright is a charming and absorbing tale which delivers an interesting insight into the inter-relationships between grown adults, as well as their children. Despite the complex subject matter, the plot never falls into the expected clichés or stereotypes which it could so easily have done. Instead, what Cholodenko delivers is an original, thought provoking and respectful analysis of this ‘modern day’ family and the complications which can result from such a set-up.
Strong performances across the board ensure that the warmth present in the script is suitably delivered. Indeed, such warmth adds to the feeling of genuine sincerity that endears the audience to the individual plights of the characters, which dip and weave as the lines of attachment become more pronounced. The same cannot be said for the children’s characters however, both of which veer into expected territory via Laser’s associations with an unsavoury friend and Joni’s stubbornness to be treated with respect. While standing alone as perfectly fine subplots, in the context of the entire film they end up feeling half-baked and predictable, such is the level of tact with which the main characters are dealt with.
The balance between sorrow and joy is wonderfully managed throughout and despite the heavy content there is a wry, subtle humour present, which ensures the potential deluge of heart-ache is never over-bearing. As you would expect, such a complicated social sphere is played out via much dialogue, and thus some slow moments are present, which ultimately lends weight to the feeling that the film is slightly over-long. None the less, this is a thought provoking, witty analysis of the delicate intricacies which prevail in modern day families, delivered with enough panache and originality to be fully deserving of your attention.
Really looking forward to this one. Thanks for the review.