THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

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The mid-life parenting crisis of a lesbian couple (awesomely played by Julianne Moore and Annette Bening) is the narrative cornerstone for a memorable comedic family drama by writer/director Lisa Cholodenko.

Together for 20 years, Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore) raise their teenage children Laser (Josh Hutcherson) and Joni (Mia Wasilkowska) in the comfort of a well-appointed Los Angeles home. Nic is a doctor; Jules is starting her own landscaping business. The couple's teenage son hangs out with a juvenile bully while 18-year-old Joni decides to track down the man who anonymously donated his sperm to their mom Jules nearly two decades earlier.

Phone contact is made with their biological father Paul (Mark Ruffalo), and the siblings agree to a meeting. Groovy Paul is a motorcycle-riding restaurateur with a passion for locally grown vegetables and a bevy of attractive women who rotate around him. Paul warms quickly to the idea of acting out his fatherhood fantasies, soon ingratiating himself into Jules's and Nic's family. He even offers to become Jules's first landscape design client.

When fireworks ignite between Jules and Paul, the story turns into an exploration of desire, honesty, and loyalty in an unconventional familial setting. Cholodenko's precise plotting, canny dialogue, and spot-on production design compliment solid performance from the lively ensemble cast.

"The Kids Are Alright" is a thoroughly cohesive and entertaining movie that celebrates LGBT relationships in a long-term family setting.

Rated R. 134 mins.