Born and raised in an unconventional family, two teenage kids search for their sperm donor. Starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo, this movie takes an intimate look at a same sex couple and the challenges of raising a modern day family.
Review
In preparation for the upcoming Academy Awards, I wanted to see "The Kids Are All Right" because of the positive buzz surrounding this picture. Unfortunately, the movie failed to win my heart the way it appears to have done for others.
Going into the film, I knew very little about the story. I recall from the previews that some children went looking for their biological father after being raised by lesbian mothers. I assumed the movie was a comedy, but quickly found that it is an adult drama with a few funny moments.
The fact that "The Kids Are All Right" turned out to be more serious than funny didn't affect my judgement, but it oversold the lightness of the film. Sure, there were laugh out loud moments, but the film also addressed heavier subjects like aging, sexuality, and parenting.
Upon completion of the motion picture, I wondered why this movie was up for an award. Is it worth watching? Yes. Should it win an award? No. But then I don't always agree with how the Academy chooses its winners anyway.
If this movie were to win an Oscar, I believe it would do so because it puts the modern family front and center. To a conservative audience, this subject may be pushing the envelope a bit. It has nudity, sexual content, and drug use. However, the Academy may wish to reward its director and cast for having the courage to tell this story.
On a good note, there are plenty of laughable scenes and a pretty face (Tanya played by Yaya DaCosta) to make the film entertaining, but I don't like where the story ended. Not that I need a neat finale, but it kind of leaves the audience in a jolted space.
The actors did a good job of playing their parts, but they all had the case of sensitivitis. That is being overly sensitive and emotional. I know this is a drama, but I kept wanting to yell, "Chill out already!"
Conclusion
Overall, "The Kids Are All Right" is a decent movie. I laughed. Unfortunately, the story did not fulfill my expectations.
Score: 3 out of 5
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