Just wanted to give a shout out to a nice grown-up movie I saw the other week. The Kids Are Alright starts with the story of two teenagers that seek out their biological father. The story shifts to focus on the relationship between that father (donor?) and one of the kids actual parents, who is in a lesbian relationship, and they have raised the kids together as a family. The people are allowed to be more complicated than just types. Sure, they have quirks, but they add up into characters that resemble actual human beings. The couple isn't a generic lesbian couple, even they're sexuality has a complex dimension. This is a movie where the characters say a great deal to each other, but you still sense a powerful subtext underneath. Dinner conversations; confrontations; passages of time; all is handled with a fluid naturalism that just feels authentic. I also want to mention the use of the supporting characters, from the donors (dad?) Mark Ruffalos girlfriend, to the gardner, to the kids friends..they all contribute to the overall feel of the film, and lend a great deal to it's authenticity. I stared at the scene where Julianne Moore fires her gardner with amazement, because it just felt so true. Some will not appreciate the plot twists, but this isn't the ultimate lesbian film, nor does it want to tokenize lesbian audiences. These are real people, doing realistic things. I bought it. The fact that it's well written and acted adds to it's appeal. It so subtle that is becomes even more thought-provoking when it starts asking the big questions. What is a parent? What is a partner? What is a family? And the climax, before the moving finale, is a finely delivered speech that is effective. I love movies that end with great speeches, they remind me of older movies that might star Spencer Tracy.
