The Kids Are All Right (A Mayor at the Movies Review)

Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) have been in a long-term relationship. The plot revolves around their children seeking out their sperm-donor father, Paul (Mark Ruffalo).

Moviegoers will identify with the couple's problems, which are the same for heterosexual couples with teenage children. The film seeks to establish an understanding of the need to provide equity for both homosexual and heterosexual couples. As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing."

A day or two after seeing this film, I watched The Crying Game, on the IFC television channel. It involves an IRA soldier, Fergus (Stephen Rea), who becomes involved with another male, Dil (Jaye Davidson), living the life of a woman. That older film is superb and far more absorbing than the Kids Are All Right, which has a sitcom quality to it. If you've never seen The Crying Game, it is definitely worth renting.

For my full video review of The Kids Are All Right, click below. And don't forget to follow me on Twitter, @MayorAtMovies

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Follow Ed Koch on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mayoredkoch

Comments

[jayla60]

10:12 AM on 07/20/2010

I enjoyed The Kids Are All Right, but I agree with the Mayor... they tried to make it appeal too much to the straight audience. Julianne Moore's character annoyed me because her actions didn't seem authentic to her life -- and things resolved too fast at the end. But Annette Bening is WONDERFUL! Her character had more depth and seemed reality-based and not there just to suit the plot. Worth seeing!

[cougarsrus]

03:19 PM on 07/20/2010

Agree that Annette Benning was just stellar in this movie. Could she finally get the Oscar she richly deserves - prob not with such a small movie. I also thought the kid actors were very good. Agree on Julianna Moore's character - it was hard to like her.

[bnyb]

09:01 AM on 07/20/2010

Umm. Is that it?

[ArtsyJane]

11:26 AM on 07/19/2010

??? Did I miss something?

[JeremiahA]

11:56 AM on 07/18/2010

"The film seeks to establish an understanding of the need to provide equity for both homosexual and heterosexual couples."

Is this not the crux of the matter? Whether society should view a couple that denies a child a father or a mother as being the same as any other couple?

[Richter]

03:36 PM on 07/18/2010

Is THIS not the crux of the matter -- Whether society should view a couple that denies a child two fathers or two mothers as being the same as any other couple?

[JeremiahA]

06:03 AM on 07/19/2010

Exactly my point. Society should act in the best interest of the child. And there is not ambiguity on that point.

[AJT]

03:32 PM on 07/19/2010

wow, your comment makes no sense. so, a child who has a parent die should be removed from the home because now the child is being denyed a parent? a person should stay with an abusive husband/wife because otherwise they are denying their chilldren a parent? basically if a child is not in a home with one of each sex parent then they are in some kind of bad environment? your nuts.

[JeremiahA]

12:28 PM on 07/20/2010

In your first example, society did not automatically deny the child a parent, as well as in your second example. Society has made laws to protect children from abuse and abandonment. In your third example, any single parent will tell you (who is not narcissistic or in denial) that raising a child in such a home is not as good as raising a child in a two parent home.

And I disagree with your last comment (though my wife probably does agree with you.)