Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Two women, Nic and Jules, brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids go behind their mothers' backs to meet with the donor. Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.
The Kids Are All Right is elevated primarily by its exceptional ensemble performances, particularly Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, who bring raw authenticity to their roles as a long-married lesbian couple navigating a family disruption. The plot is engaging but somewhat predictable in its infidelity arc, relying on familiar domestic drama conventions once the initial novelty of the premise wears off. Cinematography is competent and naturalistic but unremarkable. The film earns its novelty points for its matter-of-fact, non-political portrayal of a same-sex family at a time when that was still relatively fresh on screen, though it doesn't reinvent the domestic drama wheel. The ending is satisfying but low-key, wrapping things up in a grounded if slightly abrupt manner.