Went to see "The Kids Are All Right" over the weekend. Despite having some 20-year-old
chick's foot in my face during the entire evening and my many misgivings about the plot going into it, I really enjoyed it. (Apparently I'm not the only one: It was the
highest-grossing debut in limited release this year.) Still, while the reviews have been
overwhelming glowing, I wouldn't exactly put myself in "that" category. The "all lesbians secretly desire men" part still rubs me the wrong way (Jill Bennett at SheWired
isn't too thrilled about it, either.) And the plot twist involving pornography and the sperm donor's reaction to the whole situation -- not to mention some overacting toward the end of the film -- weren't exactly Oscar-worthy filmmaking.
But I think of "The Kids Are All Right" as one of those gourmet sandwiches you see on the menu at an Au Bon Pain, where you like the idea of chicken and cheddar, but Chili Dijon Mustard doesn't so sound good to you and you wish they would put it on a baguette instead of Sun-Dried Tomato Bread. But then you just say to yourself, "Hey, somebody -- a chef, whose job it is to do these things -- put a lot of thought into this Arizona Chicken Sandwich -- maybe there's a reason why they picked this ingredient instead of that one." So then you just go with it, and you realize it really was great the way someone else envisioned, and that if one ingredient had been changed to suit my taste, it might not have been so great after all. "The Kids Are All Right" made me laugh and cry and think and smile. And it seems to be connecting with all types of audiences. So if it can help the general public realize that families are families -- whatever shape they come in -- then it's all right with me, too. And something tells me Ms. Bennett -- who admits she hadn't seen the film when she wrote her complaint -- will too once she gives it a shot.
Went to see "The Kids Are All Right" over the weekend. Despite having some 20-year-old chick's foot in my face during the entire evening and my many misgivings about the plot going into it, I really enjoyed it. (Apparently I'm not the only one: It was the highest-grossing debut in limited release this year.) Still, while the reviews have been overwhelming glowing, I wouldn't exactly put myself in "that" category. The "all lesbians secretly desire men" part still rubs me the wrong way (Jill Bennett at SheWired isn't too thrilled about it, either.) And the plot twist involving pornography and the sperm donor's reaction to the whole situation -- not to mention some overacting toward the end of the film -- weren't exactly Oscar-worthy filmmaking.
But I think of "The Kids Are All Right" as one of those gourmet sandwiches you see on the menu at an Au Bon Pain, where you like the idea of chicken and cheddar, but Chili Dijon Mustard doesn't so sound good to you and you wish they would put it on a baguette instead of Sun-Dried Tomato Bread. But then you just say to yourself, "Hey, somebody -- a chef, whose job it is to do these things -- put a lot of thought into this Arizona Chicken Sandwich -- maybe there's a reason why they picked this ingredient instead of that one." So then you just go with it, and you realize it really was great the way someone else envisioned, and that if one ingredient had been changed to suit my taste, it might not have been so great after all. "The Kids Are All Right" made me laugh and cry and think and smile. And it seems to be connecting with all types of audiences. So if it can help the general public realize that families are families -- whatever shape they come in -- then it's all right with me, too. And something tells me Ms. Bennett -- who admits she hadn't seen the film when she wrote her complaint -- will too once she gives it a shot.
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