Review by Loc
Little art house flicks that serve as Oscar vehicles for A-list stars slumming it in the Indies are always tough. Sure, they might squeeze out a good performance from their A-lister, but sometimes the stories are blah. More often than that, the A-lister sniffed that Oscar nod early on and pours on the “good stuff”, making it pretty unbearable to watch. But my oh my, do those critics slobber all over themselves to heap praise upon those A-listers. Luckily, I’m not critic. Quick hit: this movie is all right.
So what do we have here? Annette Bening and Julianne Moore play a long-term committed couple with two children. In this new-age version of the nuclear family, nothing could go that smoothly, at least not after 18 years of smooth sailing. Enter Mark Ruffalo, sperm donor! Yes, at age 18 the kids are legally allowed to track down their “father” and do they ever. What comes next is the joy, adulation, confusion, and problems introduced from this new family member.
Annette Bening is being touted as Oscar-worthy for her portrayal as the breadwinning rock of the family. Her performance is good, but it doesn’t really seem any different from her other performances. Julianne Moore is the more flighty, artsy partner, and she does decent as well. The kids are solid. Mark Ruffalo, playing a slightly vacuous, noncommittal restaurateur actually hits this performance squarely. Maybe it’s because the way he normally speaks is slightly stoner, slighty dumb, all muffled, but this character works for him, hehe.
The plot itself is solid. There’s something to be said about the realities of the modern family and while our definitions may have changed, family drama hasn’t altered dramatically. If you have kid issues, if you have parent issues, if you have sperm donor/donor child dynamic issues, well then you’re living in the new millennium. That said, the issues explored in this flick are less enthralling and more frustrating. The side issues like Bening’s stress-induced, casual alcoholism or Moore’s mid-life career flightiness exist squarely to support the major drama and as a result, don’t feel explored.
The major drama is the simple existence of Mark Ruffalo. You can imagine a child’s desire to understand where they came from to help guide them in who they will become as adults. However, is an anonymous sperm donor anything more than…that? Is Mark Ruffalo granted family member status by default? For the children, understanding how their “father” is could fill a void that they never knew they had. For their mothers, dealing with the situation may have been anticipated, but unwelcome nonetheless.
And yet, this exploration plays out with a dullness that leaves this film flat. Maybe the point being made is that life, real life, may be mundane but it still can impact lives immensely. And guess what? If you’ve lived long enough to read this, then you’ve probably already experienced this reality. Unfortunately, real life doesn’t make great movies, that’s why we go see movies. So that’s what you get and that’s what you can expect.
Overall, The Kids Are All Right is just all right. It’s not exceptional in any facet, not in the performances, not in the story, not in the subject matter. The drama that plays out is slightly engaging, but there’s a distinct lack of payoff by the conclusion of the film. I guess if it really is mimicking your average, ordinary life, getting nothing in the end is about right…ha. Out of 18 years to find you biological father, The Kids Are All Right chugs along with 11 years.
Rated: 6/10
