A wonderful cast, an intelligent and funny screenplay and fine direction more than compensate for a few implausible plot twists in The Kids Are All Right. I found the characters compelling and parts of this film made me laugh harder than I expected. This film is not perfect, but it is very good.

Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) seem just like any other married couple, except that they are lesbians and, using the same sperm donor, each had a child.  Nic is a driven doctor who likes to be in control. Jules is the more easy-going partner who stayed at home with the kids, while she tried to start several businesses. Their eighteen-year-old daughter Joni (Mia Wasikowska) was valedictorian of her high school class and is getting ready for college. Their fifteen-year-old son Laser (Josh Hutcherson) may be hanging out with the wrong crowd, but his family loves him. All seems right with this happy family until Laser convinces his sister Joni to contact their sperm donor/biological father Paul (Mark Ruffalo). Paul is the owner of a restaurant that features organic and local foods. He has never been married and is in a casual relationship with gorgeous Tanya (Yaya DaCosta). Paul is amenable to a relationship with Joni and Laser, despite strong objections from Nic and ambivalence from Jules. The film explores how Paul’s presence affects all the members of the family. Whether he is a positive force or destructive interloper is for the audience to determine.

Julianne Moore and Annette Bening are completely credible as a couple in a long-term relationship. Their love scenes are committed and sincere, without a hint of self-consciousness. Bening’s Nic looks uptight as she questions Laser about his choice of friends, pushes her daughter to read her graduation speech to Paul and initially dismisses the plans Jules makes to start a landscaping business. Bening is hilarious as Nic pastes a fake smile on her face and grills Paul about his life. As he answers her questions, Nic responds by looking like she swallowed a sour pickle. Yet Bening makes the controlling Nic likable and sympathetic, as we see Nic’s insecurity in her face. Moore is ingenuous and innocent as Jules tries to solve every conflict with calm discussions. When Nic harangues their son about his choice of friends, Jules earnestly asks him, “Is he (the friend) the kind of person who will help you grow?” I have been hooked on Mark Ruffalo since You Can Count on Me, and he infuses Paul with charisma and sweetness. Paul uses his hands when he talks and punctuates his speech with “likes” and “you knows,” but Paul’s laid-back personality is never annoying, and we see why the other characters are drawn to him. Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson make Joni and Laser seem like actual teenagers rather than caricatures. Wasikowska, last seen in Alice in Wonderland and HBO’s In Treatment, continues to impress me. Joni is uptight like mother Nic, but soon opens herself to Paul.  Josh Hutcherson does a good job of making sullen Laser seem vulnerable, as Laser first defends Paul when his sister says that donating sperm is weird. Laser counters by saying with conviction, “If he hadn’t we wouldn’t be here. Respect.”

Credit writers Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg for respecting the characters and the audience, by making this family just like any other. Joni and Laser refer to their parents as Moms and are mortified by stories of how their parents met, but not because their parents are lesbians. Nic and Jules have the same conflicts (taking each other for granted, division of labor, need for emotional support) as any other couple. In response to questions from Laser about why his parents enjoy pornographic films, Nic and Jules provide one of the best explanations I have ever heard. The moments of humor here are many, and director Cholodenko is restrained enough to keep those moments from seeming over the top and unrealistic. One of my favorite scenes has Nic and Paul connecting by singing a Joni Mitchell song. The scene is hilarious, but also restrained and moving. Although Nic initially resents Paul and sees him as someone trying to “steal” her family, he merely emphasizes needs all the members of the family are trying to suppress, just as meeting them awakens needs in Paul.

It has been eight years since Lisa Cholodenko’s second film Laurel Canyon and twelve since her debut with High Art. Like those fine films, The Kids Are All Right is a thoughtful exploration of women and their complex relationships. The characters here seem more mature and down to earth and I wanted to see more of them. Although the story takes an implausible turn near the end and the resolution is a bit too easy, this film worked for me. And I enjoyed every minute.

The Kids Are All Right. Directed by Lisa Cholodenko.  Julianne Moore (Jules), Annette Bening (Nic), Mark Ruffalo(Paul) Mia Wasikowska (Joni), Josh Hutcherson (Laser) and Yaya DaCosta (Tanya). Focus Features, 2010.

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

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