Arriving at the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge this morning, I was surprised to see quite a few people waiting for the doors to open. When the time came, there were roughly sixty people in line - most of which were there, like my brother and I, to catch a screening of "The Kids Are All Right." I was impressed by the turnout for what some critics are hailing as the little indie that will take off this year. The story centers around a family with issues. Many of this issues rise from the fact that the parents are both moms - a lesbian married couple played exceptionally well by Julianne Moore and Annette Bening. The spark that starts the fire is when their two teenage children (Mia Wasakowska and Josh Hutcherson) decide to track down their sperm donor father (Mark Ruffalo) just because they are curious. It's hinted at that both of the children are not getting something from their moms that a father could fulfill. When this man enters the picture, the family's world is rocked.
This movie markets itself like a comedy, and while I did laugh a number of times, it's more of a drama. A lot of the movie is downright depressing, exploring the dynamic of a family who is missing something. This is not a pro-gay marriage flick by any means. Without spoiling anything, the lesbians on display here are not glorified super parents, and a few of the scenes have me wondering why I haven't heard of any protests from the gay community. It's a raw film that is both honest and moving.
There are a few graphic sexual scenes - including the lesbian couple watching male pornography. This was not needed - at least as graphic as they made it - and it spoiled it a little for me. Overall though, I would highly recommend this film. It won't be for everyone, but it's certainly more than 'all right.' I would give it a 7.5 out of 10.
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