Review: The Kids Are All Right

I hadn’t seen “The Kids are All Right” during its theatrical release, but while I was working at NBCUniversal, there was a lot of buzz internally for it. So given the water cooler talk, the quality of the cast, and its Golden Globe and Oscar nods, I assumed this was a strong film that I’d eventually get around to watching. Sadly, I found it extremely mediocre, though one can tell that writer/director Lisa Cholodenko desperately wants it to be something more. In fact, I would go as far as to say it is mind-boggling that this film garnered four Oscar nominations.

If ever there was a script where the writers mixed a bunch of hot button/edgy topics into a pot and then threw it up against the wall to see what would stick; this is that film. Same sex married couples? Check. Urban hipster community gardens? Check. Fresh fare organic kitchen restaurant owned by sperm-donating college dropout? Check. And while Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg try their best to craft a script that screams “The L Word” meets “Life as a House,” ultimately what makes it onto screen is a story that lacks genuine heart.

In the film, when a sperm donor suddenly becomes present in the lives of a same sex married couple only to wreak havoc on their version of suburban bliss, we, the viewers, are allowed to peak behind the curtain and find that upon closer view, families of all shapes, sizes, and orientation can be rife with warts. Sadly the film lacks the heart to carry us through the overwrought melodrama. As important a message as it may be - that same sex couples and their respective families are no different than those of heterosexual couples, the film fails to compel and entertain. A key component to challenging convention is to break down the notions of what is considered conventional. This film instead screams of compliance and tries to pigeonhole its characters accordingly.

The script and direction give the appearance that three accomplished actors in Moore, Benning, and Ruffalo as well as the up-and-coming Wasikowska are sleep walking through the film because their respective characters are paper-thin. Giving someone a drinking problem, or making them rebel against their lesbian parents does not provide them with substantive depth.

I really would not recommend this film unless there are no other options. There are other cinematic efforts out there that address these subject matters with much more authenticity. The only way I can reconcile the fact that this film garnered so many accolades is what I like to refer to as the “Philadelphia” (starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington) effect – recognized for its perceived edge-factor more so than its cinematic merit.

Notable Performances: Joaquin Garrido as Luis adds a bit of levity to the mundane.