Release: 2nd of September

Length: 101 minutes

Rating: MA 15+ (Strong sex scenes and infrequent drug use)

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light get’s in” Leonard Cohen sung it and director Lisa Cholodenko shows it in The Kids Are All Right.  

Although California is a sunny place, even the residents who live in this ‘carefree‘ town show cracks of insecurity. Sometimes it’s more like tectonic plates splitting and that’s when they can either fall down into the abyss, or let the sunshine in. Seeing as it’s Hollywood I think you can guess the result.   

The new tale of family stories results in a humorously, real depiction of the kiddies flying the coup. Just with a little more drama as the teens played by Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson, track down the donor that gave their mummies the gift of his supposed overachieving sperm.  

The sperm in question is played by Mark Ruffalo and as the family discovers is less responsible international relations expert and more restauranturing middle aged man going on twenty. His charm is worked on most of the family, accept for Nic (Annette Benning), a doctor who controls the family with a semi iron fist she finds is not wielding the same power as it once used to. 

Not much of a control freak myself, I initially found Bennings character frustrating. However after she performed an incredibly awkward Joni Mitchell duet with Mark Ruffalo I warmed to her and quietly hoped, somewhat naively, that I would never be that nostalgic in public. 

Her partner Jules played by Julianne Moore is  every part the drifting through life stay at home mum, who wants a career but is comically vague about her approach to everything.   

Every scene with Moore brought  me delight.  I was waiting with bated breath for her to say, ‘Just hang ten dude’.  Unfortunately it never came but what did arrive were some catchy one liners I will keep close to me heart if ever I need to make people giggle and cringe just a little. 

Director and writer, Cholodenko, who also wrote and directed Laurel Canyon (another family drama) creates honest human reactions between child and parent. 

My encounter with this Californian family was delightful. It displayed the redemptive power that family offers, and it also made me crave a really tasty organic salad. 

Katherine Lazarus