As I get closer to the end of my quest, I come across THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, a comedy about a lesbian couple and their two children. Cute, but poses no threat. I wanted to love this movie. I really did… but I didn’t. I found it enjoyable enough, with a funny script and some very strong performances, but there seemed to be something missing. Perhaps it was that the plot never strayed from the predictable, perhaps it was the somewhat static and stock nature of the characters… but I wasn’t feeling it.
One thing I will commend about this film was the refreshing, honest portrayal of a lesbian couple. I find that in films, especially comedies, gay and lesbian couples are usually shown as stereotypes (resulting in camp) or extremely conservative (which comes off as borderline homophobic). In THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, however, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are a normal couple with normal problems. Who knew that something so normal could be so refreshing.
Clearly, I cannot see this film as any threat to the Oscar favorites, which is reflected by the buzz leading up to the awards. Sure, the film won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy, an award it likely deserved, given the competition, but that’s likely the end of the awards. Annette Bening took home the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, but if the Oscar comes down to her or THE FIGHTER’s Melissa Leo, Leo should be victorious (I’d give the award to Amy Adams over Bening, as well). As noted, I really wanted to love this film…. but alas.
Correction: It was just brought to my attention that Bening won for Best Actress in a Comedy, which I knew. Goes to show that I shouldn’t right reviews at 1am. My comments stand…. but with Natalie Portman taking the award instead.
