This Sundance favorite is an interesting take on the modern family. A lesbian couple used the same sperm donor to each conceive one of their two children. When the children turn 18 they can request information about the donor. Their son is so eager to find out about the male side of his genetics he convinces his college-bound older sister to contact him. This is the set-up for this character-based dramedy about long-term relationships and raising kids.
Nic (Annette Bening, AMERICAN BEAUTY) and Jules (Julianne Moore, BOOGIE NIGHTS) have been together since Jules was an undergraduate and she went to the hospital where Nic was doing her residency. First they had Joni (Mia Wasikowska, ALICE IN WONDERLAND), followed by Laser (Josh Hutcherson, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA). Together, without the moms' knowledge, they go to meet Paul (Mark Ruffalo, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME), an easy-going restaurant owner who donated sperm when he was a struggling college student. Of course Nic and Jules find out and want to meet him as well, which begins the changing their family dynamic.
Nic is a perfection-oriented success. She is smart and sophisticated and one could describe her as stuck-up. To take the edge off, she drinks too much from time to time, which unleashes her cocky side. Jules is the yin to her yang. She dropped out of college, started a few failed businesses and is now set on becoming a landscape designer. Nic, subtly without really knowing it, looks down on the way Jules has led her life. And yet she makes a solid effort to be encouraging for whatever hair-brained venture Jules comes up with next.
Joni has the maturity of Nic, but the trendy spirit of Jules, while Laser has the aimlessness of Jules and the attitude of Nic. So of course Joni and Jules connect instantly with the organic farmer Paul. His presence pulls Joni away from Nic right when she wanted to pull her closer before her oldest went off to school. Paul gives Jules her first break in landscaping his backyard. He believes in her without judgment, which is something she hasn't gotten from Nic in ages. Laser is looking to find himself and hopes to get some clues in Paul. His parents worry about the amount of time he is spending with the miscreant Clay (Eddie Hassell, 2012). One of the funniest moments in the film involves Laser, Clay and a stash of porn. Sexuality is a complex thing, Jules says.
With a film about lesbians raising a family, one might expect this to be a message movie about gay marriage, but it isn't. The story simply presents this family with warts and all, which reveals them to be just like any other family. After being together for so long, Nic and Jules struggle to keep the spark alive. They have mixed feelings about their babies growing up. Joni feels the pressure to succeed from Nic. There is moment when Joni bursts out about being perfect so Nic can taut her perfect lesbian family that I wish would have been fleshed out more throughout, but it's only a minor quibble.
For the most part, the characters are complex human beings. Bening deserves an Oscar nomination for her amazing performance. She could have come off as a shrew, but she finds a line between overbearing and a protective momma bear that is heart wrenching. Moore is also stellar as the lost soul Jules, who wants to feel important within her family. Wasikowska didn't stand out for me within the visual effects for ALICE, but she sure stood out here. She makes Joni the good girl who is realizing that she's a young woman now. She's always done what she thinks is right and now she wants to do some things she wants to do instead. Ruffalo and Hutcherson fit into their roles nicely as well. Ruffalo's live day-by-day philosophy is maddening to Nic and surprisingly Laser too. Another performance that stood out was Yaya DaCosta (TV's UGLY BETTY) as Tanya, Paul's sometimes girlfriend. In addition to her striking beauty, she gives depth to a character that could have been forgettable. In the ways she delivers her lines, she does what the best supporting actors do — help define the characters they are around.
Director Lisa Cholodenko (HIGH ART), who wrote the script with Stuart Blumberg (KEEPING THE FAITH), has an eye and ear for interpersonal dynamics, especially within families. Watch when the kids first meet Paul and won't talk about themselves only their sibling. See how Nic's disapproval of Paul's influence on Laser makes Jules feel bad about her life. Pay attention to how Nic handles herself when she makes a real effort to reconnect by going to dinner at Paul's. It's what she doesn't do and doesn't say that is key. These details build to bigger meaning as the plot develops. While the plot seems in search of a central character and an adequate emotional conclusion at times, the story always stays true to its characters. Life doesn't fix itself overnight and this film recognizes it.
The last note is a joke from Hutcherson, but in some ways it has real truth about long-term relationships. The longer people have been together the bigger bumps they hit along the way, but it's the wisdom and bond that comes with that time that can also help a couple deal with those bumps.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
