The Kids Are All Right is a typical family drama with a twist. Parents raising up their children. Spouse goes on a cheating curve. Children are in their growing phase of being a rebellious teenager. Director Lisa Cholodenko gives it a slight twist, where instead of having parents consist of a father and a mother, we have two mothers instead. Issues get complicated when both mothers are lovers, and the father is the third party who came in between the mothers/lovers.
Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are the mothers in question, and Mark Ruffalo is the father who came in between the two mothers, which turns the homosexual-parent family upside down.
Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore) are two women in a lesbian marriage who had two children through artificial insemination. When both children, Joni and Laser (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) tried to find out that Paul (Ruffalo), an restaurant owner serving organic food is their father, they get in touch with him to know Nic and Jules. After knowing each other well over dinner, Paul visits the family often. Jules works in the farm owns by Paul, and they fall in love. Nic sense estrangement from Jules, and Jules seeks comfort from Paul.
The scenario seems very much of a typical soap drama scenario. Place it in a heterosexual context and it just simply makes it into another soap drama on the big screen that might not even get any attention. Place it on a homosexual context and not only it draws the attention, but also puts us in another view: the stability of a relationship in a homosexual family.
The Kids Are All Right are at times light-hearted, at most times a realistic portrayal on the possible problems surfacing on a homosexual family. It shows us that love between two married women can worn out over a long period of time, just like any normal married couple who fails to keep the relationship alive. Similarily, children growing up in a homosexual family may want to seek attention due to the loss of opportunity growing up together with their father/mother. To the children, it just feels like growing up in a single-parent family, where the father/mother is missing from their life.
This is a clear picture of the reality portrayed in real life, with The Kids Are All Right as the reflection of the reality. Cholodenko borough us Laurel Canyon (2000), which discusses more serious issue than The Kids Are All Right. Though The Kids Are All Right is meant to be a comedy, it is a comedy with food for thought.
Bening and Moore gives us laughs at times, and provokes us with thoughts towards the end of the film, such as the sustainability of a lesbian marriage as time goes by. Ruffalo gave us with a realistic view from a man on growing up issues, such as sex and alcohol during high school education. This makes The Kids Are All Right being the first few movie in the history of Hollywood that truly discusses lesbian marriage and starting a family.
Somehow, the release of The Kids Are All Right in Singapore were not only delayed, but also make it into a limited release, where it is only allowed in one cinema due to the nature of the film. However, this did not deter audiences to show their support for the comedy, which sees a pretty healthy response on the opening weekend.
To sum up, everybody is all right in The Kids Are All Right, which serves some food for thought over wine and conversations about family bonding and keeping the love and relationship alive.
Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are the mothers in question, and Mark Ruffalo is the father who came in between the two mothers, which turns the homosexual-parent family upside down.
Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore) are two women in a lesbian marriage who had two children through artificial insemination. When both children, Joni and Laser (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) tried to find out that Paul (Ruffalo), an restaurant owner serving organic food is their father, they get in touch with him to know Nic and Jules. After knowing each other well over dinner, Paul visits the family often. Jules works in the farm owns by Paul, and they fall in love. Nic sense estrangement from Jules, and Jules seeks comfort from Paul.
The scenario seems very much of a typical soap drama scenario. Place it in a heterosexual context and it just simply makes it into another soap drama on the big screen that might not even get any attention. Place it on a homosexual context and not only it draws the attention, but also puts us in another view: the stability of a relationship in a homosexual family.
The Kids Are All Right are at times light-hearted, at most times a realistic portrayal on the possible problems surfacing on a homosexual family. It shows us that love between two married women can worn out over a long period of time, just like any normal married couple who fails to keep the relationship alive. Similarily, children growing up in a homosexual family may want to seek attention due to the loss of opportunity growing up together with their father/mother. To the children, it just feels like growing up in a single-parent family, where the father/mother is missing from their life.
This is a clear picture of the reality portrayed in real life, with The Kids Are All Right as the reflection of the reality. Cholodenko borough us Laurel Canyon (2000), which discusses more serious issue than The Kids Are All Right. Though The Kids Are All Right is meant to be a comedy, it is a comedy with food for thought.
Bening and Moore gives us laughs at times, and provokes us with thoughts towards the end of the film, such as the sustainability of a lesbian marriage as time goes by. Ruffalo gave us with a realistic view from a man on growing up issues, such as sex and alcohol during high school education. This makes The Kids Are All Right being the first few movie in the history of Hollywood that truly discusses lesbian marriage and starting a family.
Somehow, the release of The Kids Are All Right in Singapore were not only delayed, but also make it into a limited release, where it is only allowed in one cinema due to the nature of the film. However, this did not deter audiences to show their support for the comedy, which sees a pretty healthy response on the opening weekend.
To sum up, everybody is all right in The Kids Are All Right, which serves some food for thought over wine and conversations about family bonding and keeping the love and relationship alive.