The Age of Commercialism

Good movie but grossly overrated

best movie i've ever seen.

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

I love how Jules stand in front of the TV and say what she wanna say for Nic and the families; it's so real and satisfying to look at someone who did wrong and hurt her families; being brave and confessed why she did wrong and the reason was so true that when we stayed in a relationship for too long, it's easy to hurt the one you loved the most, to feel being loved and let the one to feel how painful or torturing your loved one gave you (even the love remains unchanged, it just like what jules said: just two people slogging through the shit, year after year, getting older, changing.)Great writer and director, turning some daily life events into an interesting story line, with no muss and no fuss, no dragging on any story line. And seriously, all of the main actresses and actors deserved the prize of their years for this movie already.A little late, but I'm still glad to have the opportunity to watch this movie tonight.

Nic is an OBGYN, (Annette Bening) married to Jules, (Julianne Moore) a stay at home wife flirting with starting a landscape business. Both of the women have given birth to a child provided by the same sperm donor. Underage son Laser, (Josh Hutcherson) wants to know more about his biological father and convinces his 18 year old sister to find out who their father is.Unbeknownst to Nic and Jules, the brother and sister meet their biological Dad (Mark Ruffalo) and being seeing him. Eventually the two Moms find out and decide they should all get to know each other a little better. This is where I think the film falls a bit short, great actors, good script idea, but the ending was a bit to Pollyanna. Still, it does bring up some interesting thoughts and if you like Bening, Moore, or Ruffalo it's still worth the watch.

Lisa Cholodenko is responsible for the 2010 film The Kids Are Alright. Not only did Cholodenko direct the film, but she also wrote its wonderful script. Telling the plight of a married female couple who used a sperm donation facility to bring their two children into the world, The Kids Are Alright does a wonderful job of dealing with the feelings of each individual involved in the story. Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, and Mark Ruffalo illustrate all adult relationships involved in just what happens when the children conceived through the sperm donation choose to seek out the identity of their donor. The sensitive topic is handled with reverence and in a way that any audience member can relate to which is to the credit of Cholodenko as a director. Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) are the children born to married couple Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore). Upon Joni's high school graduation and impending move from her parents, her brother, who will now be without his sister for the first time develops an overwhelming desire to seek out his "father". Joni makes the call and schedules a visit and the two meet Paul (Mark Ruffalo) who donated sperm as a 19-year old college dropout looking to make quick cash. After their immediate approval, their Jules and Nic want to meet Paul as well, and invite him to a dinner in their home. Jules immediately takes a liking to Paul, whereas Nic struggles with letting him into their lives. Always a control freak, Nic wants to limit the interaction between Paul and her children, as she seemingly feels threatened by his presence. When an affair in uncovered between Jules and Paul, Nic is heartbroken and her children are infuriated. After the revelation, the underlying issues between Nic and Jules needs to be addressed, to address whether or not they can save their marriage and if the Kids will be alright.Seeking out a sperm donor responsible for your life is not an issue that many people encounter, yet The Kids Are Alright is done in such a way that the issue seems relevant to anyone watching the film. This relevance can be attributed to the performances in the film. Julianne Moore and Annette Bening have a wonderful on-screen chemistry that contributed well to the film. Their performances as a married couple with many underlying and unresolved issues bring relevance to anyone that's been in a relationship. The film also resonates to anyone with a mother. You don't need to have two mothers to understand the dynamics of the relationship between mother and child. Even though the affair was a little far-fetched it went lengths to illustrate the deeper issues of the problems existing within the relationships explored on-screen.

I quickly read some of the reviews for this and was surprised at all the people who hated it. I thought it was great. It's non-judgmental and, to me, makes sense as it unfolds and it has sympathy for all the characters, all of them.I liked that it was low key and I admired Benning and Moore for presenting themselves as middle aged without being made up like movie stars. The writing lets the plot unfold and doesn't force any of the sequences: this could have easily been a lamp-throwing melodrama.There aren't too many adult films with heart out out there nowadays but this is one of them. A film for our times.