THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (USA 2010) ***
Directed by Lisa Cholodenko

The film’s tagline describes the plot of Lisa Chodolenko’s new comedy drama perfectly.  Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) has the perfect family, until they meet the man (the sperm donor) who made it all possible.

Nic, a doctor and Jules an upcoming landscaper is a lesbian couple living comfortably with their two adopted children, Joni (Mia Washikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson).  Trouble arrives in paradise when the kids dig up the identity of the sperm donor who made it all possible.  Paul (Mark Ruffalo) is a nice guy, as Laser describes him, but that does not mean that he does not create disharmony with the family.  Major disruption occurs when he sleeps with Jules, resulting in the family almost torn apart.

Almost, because Cholodenko’s film, though based on a modern somewhat controversial topic opts for the conventional path.  Family is disrupted but family pulls together at the end.

Worst still, the script by Stuart Blumberg (THE GIRL NEXT DOOR) goes for the easy laughs.  Almost every line contains a punch line, which reduces the film’s overall dramatic effect.  Blumberg also puts into too many reasoning.  There is a reason or purpose for every action.  Joni helps find the donor identity because she has reached 18; Nic has sex because she feels important; Jules patches things up with Paul when there is animosity; the couple watches male port while having sex for a logical psychological reason.  What happened to spontaneity here?

Bening plays the bitchy role once again and Moore the one coerced into sex.  Though they make a believable gay couple, their stereotyped bickering get irritating after a while. 

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT finally results in an ok film that could have been so much edgier and either funnier or more dramatic if Cholodenko decided on the path to take.