Mark Ruffalo’s character in “The Kids Are All Right” is at that age when starting a family sounds better than being permanently single.
But he already has a family to call his own. Or so he thinks.
“Kids” gives Ruffalo his best role in years, but he’s matched by two actresses who give as good as they get.
The tale of a lesbian-led family dealing with its sperm donor could have steered toward sloganeering given the tenor of the times.
Instead, it’s a remarkably detailed drama that’s instantly entertaining without falling into a melodramatic black hole.
Julianne Moore and Annette Bening star as Jules and Nic, a gay couple with a pair of smart, resourceful teens. Their domestic tranquility recedes when the children seek out the sperm donor who made their lives possible.
Paul (Ruffalo) is only too eager to meet his “children.” He’s a successful restaurant owner with a hands-on approach to his organic menu, but there’s something missing from his life that he thinks these two teens can provide.
He doesn’t anticipate falling for one of their moms, or for said mom to feel the same way.
“Kids” grabs our attention from the opening sequence and never relinquishes its hold. Director Lisa Cholodenko made an artistic splash with “High Art” back in 1998, but her latest film shows a maturity and sense of character that still comes out of the blue.
Moore and Bening register as a long-standing couple, their grievances never feeling manufactured to egg on Paul’s impact on their lives. Moore has the trickier role, on the surface, but it’s Bening who’s asked to be both mothering and anal retentive to a fault.
But it’s Ruffalo who steals the movie. He’s a greenie and a cad, a kind-hearted man who can’t help hurting his new-found family. Paul easily could have been a stereotype, but there’s something vibrant about the way Ruffalo makes the character tick that keeps the story humming.
“The Kids Are All Right” ends on a note that’s both sunny and sublime, a fitting way to describe both the film and its trio of remarkable performances.
(Photo: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Josh Hutcherson, Mia Wasikowska and Mark Ruffalo star in Lisa Cholodenko’s “The Kids Are All Right,” a Focus Features release. Photo Credit: Suzanne Tenner)
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