Complete A-Z list


Kids Are All Right, The

6/10

Stars: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, YaYa DaCosta

Director: Lisa Cholodenko

The kids may be all right, but there's a crisis in the marriage of lesbians Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore) when their teenage children (Wasikowska and Hutcherson) seek out their biological father.

He proves to be horticulturalist Paul (Ruffalo) who promptly has a passionate affair with Jules. And if you believe that, you'll believe anything, especially as their liaison is unconvincingly put across by the scriptwriters.

Good performances, though, and a credible same-sex family set-up, all frittered away on a fatuous and foolish plot. Bening is especially good and very natural in a cleverly understated portrayal.

David Quinlan

USA 2010. UK Distributor: Universal. Technicolor.
106 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 24 Oct 2010