Thomas Drufke Sometimes films feel like they are purely made for awards consideration without much depth or flare to them. The Kids Are All Right is a perfectly fine film, without a major flaw, but I didn't find anything beneath the surface of this film to deserve any extra recognition. The film is about marriage, and the things that bind and break one. Perhaps it's just the fact that I couldn't find any sort of connection to these characters. Sometimes that's all it takes to enjoy a film.Mark Ruffalo, Annette Bening, and Julianne Moore are at the center of this story dealing with a lesbian couple and their sperm donor who suddenly becomes a part of their day to day lives as their daughter reaches out to him. It's smart, well acted, and mostly funny film about family, but it never breaks new ground or develops into a memorable story. In fact, once the film moves on from being about the children and more about the 3 adults, it becomes far less interesting. Which for me is where the film lost most of its steam, and never seemed to recover.6.0/10

ScallywaginOsaka An interesting movie with a worthwhile and engaging storyline, and superb acting from the main players. I found myself not knowing where the film was going to manoeuvre next, which is refreshing nowadays with so many predictable Hollywood plots. A variety of themes explored such as fidelity, peer pressure, attraction, friendship, insecurity and acceptance all with a level of emotional intensity indicating good cast selection and scripting. Whilst the films ending was ultimately pleasing, I felt Mark Ruffalo's affable character's conclusion to be a little unsatisfactory.

Spinners1961 Bening and Moore play Nic and Jules a loving west coast lesbian couple with two children, a level-headed 18-year old daughter called Joni (after Joni Mitchell) and a slightly confused and wayward 15-year old son called Lazer (for reasons not explained). The children are half- siblings with Joni conceived by the slightly more butch Nic and Lazer conceived by the slightly more feminine Jules with both having the same sperm donor father - revealed very early on to be the laid-back Paul (Ruffalo), a moderately successful co-op farmer and restaurant owner who I would tag as being 'hippy'. Lazer has an overwhelming urge to know more about his sperm donor father but, because of his age, he needs his sister's help. Joni contacts the clinic who contacts Paul for permission and the resultant meeting of the children with the father they know nothing about and then the meeting of the mothers with their previously unknown sperm donor sends the dynamic between all five in different and difficult directions as they discover more and more about each other...7/10. Definitely worth a watch.

oOoBarracuda Lisa Cholodenko is responsible for the 2010 film The Kids Are Alright. Not only did Cholodenko direct the film, but she also wrote its wonderful script. Telling the plight of a married female couple who used a sperm donation facility to bring their two children into the world, The Kids Are Alright does a wonderful job of dealing with the feelings of each individual involved in the story. Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, and Mark Ruffalo illustrate all adult relationships involved in just what happens when the children conceived through the sperm donation choose to seek out the identity of their donor. The sensitive topic is handled with reverence and in a way that any audience member can relate to which is to the credit of Cholodenko as a director. Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) are the children born to married couple Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore). Upon Joni's high school graduation and impending move from her parents, her brother, who will now be without his sister for the first time develops an overwhelming desire to seek out his "father". Joni makes the call and schedules a visit and the two meet Paul (Mark Ruffalo) who donated sperm as a 19-year old college dropout looking to make quick cash. After their immediate approval, their Jules and Nic want to meet Paul as well, and invite him to a dinner in their home. Jules immediately takes a liking to Paul, whereas Nic struggles with letting him into their lives. Always a control freak, Nic wants to limit the interaction between Paul and her children, as she seemingly feels threatened by his presence. When an affair in uncovered between Jules and Paul, Nic is heartbroken and her children are infuriated. After the revelation, the underlying issues between Nic and Jules needs to be addressed, to address whether or not they can save their marriage and if the Kids will be alright.Seeking out a sperm donor responsible for your life is not an issue that many people encounter, yet The Kids Are Alright is done in such a way that the issue seems relevant to anyone watching the film. This relevance can be attributed to the performances in the film. Julianne Moore and Annette Bening have a wonderful on-screen chemistry that contributed well to the film. Their performances as a married couple with many underlying and unresolved issues bring relevance to anyone that's been in a relationship. The film also resonates to anyone with a mother. You don't need to have two mothers to understand the dynamics of the relationship between mother and child. Even though the affair was a little far-fetched it went lengths to illustrate the deeper issues of the problems existing within the relationships explored on-screen.