The Kids Are All Right
Directed by Lisa Cholodenko
- comedy
- drama
The story
Two women, Nic and Jules, brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids go behind their mothers' backs to meet with the donor. Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-washed Los Angeles light falls across lived-in kitchens, backyard vegetable beds and dinner tables, with a naturalistic, unhurried camera that lingers on faces during arguments and quiet pauses. The palette runs to amber, olive and faded denim, and the score stays light, with easy acoustic textures between the scenes. The vibe is warm, wry and bittersweet, the kind of film to watch on a lazy weekend afternoon or during an evening with a glass of wine. Pacing is conversational, with long dinner-table exchanges and sharp, funny rows that give way to tender, slightly awkward reconciliations. The emotional arc follows a family's uneven recalibration as an outsider enters its routine, and the people grow more honest with each other as the cracks show. Intensity is low: there is no violence, and the sexual content is frank but not explicit, with some strong language, drinking and marijuana use. It suits adults who enjoy character-driven comedy-drama about messy, loving families and don't mind a story that refuses easy answers.
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