The Kids Are All Right (2010)

In LA, Nic and Jules are a couple with a daughter, Joni, on her way to college and a son, Laser, at 15 a good athlete but maybe hanging out with the wrong pal. Laser wants Joni, who's now 18, to find out who their biological father is - a sperm donor. Without initially telling their moms, they meet him. He's Paul, a cool guy with a motorcycle, a restaurant, and an organic garden. Although Nic doesn't like the idea, the five of them get together a few times and the kids spend time with Paul. He hires Jules, who's had many brief vocations, to landscape his back yard, and Nic, who's an OB/GYN, decides to be a good sport and get to know Paul better. Can a family add a new member?(imdb)

This movie almost completes my task to see the 2010 Oscar nominee movies. This one might be the most unique family movies I have ever seen, because it is included a two women as a parent. But to me it is just a different outer skin but same content inside.

It's refreshing to see Mia Wasikowska not doing her Alice In Wonderland, being just a normal teenager. Mark Ruffalo doing a great job being a long lost father a.k.a sperm donor. It is interesting to see the comparison from his thing to jump to right to his profession rather than take college with the family that think the opposite. But Annette Bening is pretty much being the best deep impression in this movie. I could feel her strong character as the head of the family and in the couple.


Like any other family movies, there's a conflict from family members and could tear the bond between them. But the movie states one thing I assure, whoever your parents are, people might put labels on it, is still a parent. If they are devoted parent, then everything will follow and in the end it built a strong family background.

 What interests me is how open minded this family are. Even though Nic is sure to be the most dominant and in control in the family, seem to be the head of the family but she still manage to be open to her kids. But her critics and need to control could hurt at times when her family members just need a support and trust from her. Well, I can't say I don't know how that feels.

It is bound for a kid to know their parent. Though for me the couple's choice to use the same sperm donor is a bit unusual but I guess they just wanted to build a family. This way of building a family are not impossible now and this movie is giving a good job describing it. It brings a discussion somehow about a homosexual/lesbian parent. Sometimes the most traditional family in the end did not go well. It's just labels. You could see by the values they bring to their family.