The Kids are Alright

Overview:  Yay, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are a couple!!  Now I’ve seen it all!  They are a happy Lesbian couple who gave birth to two kids, the older sister Joni and the younger brother Lazor.  Knowing they must have come from some guy other then their moms, they seek out the sperm donor and befriend him.  Eventually he integrates himself into the family, and that’s where all the wild adventures start.

The Good:  The plot is where this movie really shines, which is surprising to me, because when viewing the trailer I thought “You’ve got to be pulling my crohns! This looks like a HORRIBLE idea for a movie!”  as it turns out it is quite the captivating flick, and I found myself sitting at the edge of my seat the entire time hoping they remain a happy family.  I know Mark Ruffalo has been gaining a lot of praise for his performance, and he was really good, but the true gods of acting are the kids played by “Alice in Wonderland’s” Mia Wasikowska, and “Bridge to Terabithia’s” Josh Hutcherson.  Yes, the previous films these two young actors have been in were good, but I was especially happy to see them in something like this, because it proves that they’re perfect at playing mature roles.  Can’t say anything wrong about Julianne Moore and Annette Being, they were the comic relief all throughout. 

The Bad:  I know Mark Ruffalo is good, and I know he was awesome in this movie, but he sure can pull off some of the most akward movie moments of all time.  This is part of why he was so good in this movie, but there were times he was so unbearably awkard that I felt like my eyes were starting to bleed, and this time I SWEAR I wasn’t looking at the sun for an hour! In the trailers this movie was being sold as a Wes Anderson comedy, but it ended up being an intense family drama, so points off for messing with my mind!!

The Ugly:  This is a very good film to watch, probably not for kids, but it is a good reminder to families to stay strong through crappy times; it's a great message about personal growth in the family.  It was right to have this movie nominated for Best Picture, and although I felt betrayed that it wasn't funnier it was still a good drama that kept me interested.

4 out of 5