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August 5, 2010

RYAN MADDUX & ANDY STUCKEY: 'The Kids' - And The Movie - 'Are All Right'

Ryan Maddux & Andy Stuckey Greensburg Daily News The Greensburg Daily News Thu Aug 05, 2010, 08:06 AM EDT

Greensburg — We take another break from the summer blockbuster season and concentrate our efforts this week on the indie drama, The Kids Are All Right (R). In the film two teenage siblings - a daughter (Mia Wasikowska) and a son (Josh Hutcherson) of a lesbian couple (Annette Benning and Julianne Moore) - seek out their sperm donor/biological dad (Mark Ruffalo) in an attempt to connect with him. Complications arise when the family dynamic starts to fall apart.

Ryan: The Kids Are All Right is very solid movie. It's generated a lot of positive buzz that in this case turns out to be justified. The movie is not without its shortcomings but as a whole it is a very intriguing film to watch that will resonate with most moviegoers that have an interest in viewing it. The film is presented as a drama but has several moments of levity that adds to the realism of the picture. The movie succeeds because one genuinely believes in the vibrant relationship between the parents and the kids.

Andy: Perhaps most noteworthy here is the strength of the two female leads. Both Annette Bennning and Julianne Moore are able to create realistic members of a couple that is on the verge of falling apart. Benning probably turns in the better of the two performances but it is nice to see a film with two excellent female roles performed by actors at the top of their game.

Ryan: It's not very often that Oscar buzz drives a movie this time of the year but with the strong performances in The Kids Are All Right that just might be the case. All five leads perform at very high levels. Cherry-picking through the performances, I'm just going to make three points. Annette Benning needs to be in more movies. Mia Wasikowska is one of most promising actresses in Hollywood and Mark Ruffalo might finally garner enough respect with his performance to finally earn an Academy Award nomination.

Andy: The Kids Are All Right works primarily because of the across the board strength of the actors. Mark Ruffalo plays the irresponsible loner with his trademark everyman appeal that allows the action to unfold in a believable manner. Ruffalo is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood but this performance demonstrates yet again that he is also one of the best actors in Hollywood.

Ryan: My main problem with the film is the driving conflict of the narrative. Without giving too much away, two of the characters in the movie start a brief affair that causes much of the friction in the film. My concern isn't so much that X and Y would hook up - although I'm sure that might offend some gay and lesbians - my issue is more technical in nature. The whole affair storyline to me reeks of being cliched. In a film that prides itself in being unconventional it uses the most conventional marital conflict to drive its narrative. Ultimately that plot point sidetracks the movie into familiar waters.

Despite a few technical shortcomings, The Kids Are All Alright is a nice alternative for the summer movie season. Final grade: B.

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