1 Topic by catcat77

  • catcat77
  • Member
  • Offline

Topic: The Kids Are alright

I thought it would be a lot better then it was .It was a O.K. movie.

Quote Post 1

2 Reply by Spifunkey

  • Spifunkey
  • Member
  • Offline

Re: The Kids Are alright

catcat77 Same feelings here. Saw the movie a while ago in the theater with my wife, we thought it was awkward and didn't "do anything" for us. We couldn't figure out why it got such great reviews. It was nice seeing a lesbian couple treated just like any other couple in a movie, it was not so nice seeing one of them cheat on her partner with a man.

"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."-William Shakespeare

Quote Post 2

3 Reply by vetabordeaux

  • vetabordeaux
  • Member
  • Offline

Re: The Kids Are alright

I'm about to watch "The Kid's Are Alright" for a second time. For me, I think the screenplay is one of the most intellectually written pieces I've seen in some time. Since I watched the movie earlier today, I cannot stop thinking about it, which means it reached a place in me deep. That is what art is suppose to do. Now, the reason I am watching it twice might have something to do with Annette Benning , but actually I'd like to see what I missed to make me understand why one of the mother's had the FRUSTRATION F!@#$%^ with the sperm donor. that scene caused  me to question some things such as: does it matter if it's a male or female that she was unfaithful with? if you love someone, can you truely forgive them under those circumstances?

Actually, I think the family dynamics was spot on. Aside from the affair, everything from dealng with teenaged kids to trying to spruce up your sex life was too real. This could be one of my favorite lesbian movies if I can understand the significance of the affair with the sperm donor.

Quote Post 3

4 Reply by filmefatale

  • filmefatale
  • Member
  • Offline

Re: The Kids Are alright

@vetabordeaux: so what did you think the second time?

Here be *SPOILERS* so beware if you haven't seen the movie!

I think it's pretty clear why Jules has an affair (just in general)... she's so unappreciated at home, both because the kids are growing up and away from her and also because her partner is pushing her away and at times even completely ignoring her (Nic is definitely a workoholic and also borderline alcoholic).  Also, Jules is wholly unfulfilled in her work and no one in her immediate life really "sees" her anymore.  I'm not trying to justify affairs, for these or any reasons, but the fact that she had an affair definitely seemed to make sense, at least.

Why said affair was with a MAN, however, is a bigger question.

When I first hear the premise of this film, I thought, "Oh of course she cheats on her with a man.  OF COURSE SHE DOES!  Because that's how it always goes––a lady just isn't enough, she's lacking something essential, something that only a man can provide, blah blah blah BARF!"  But then I saw the film and it wasn't like that at all.  AT ALL.

I think Jules has an affair with her kids' sperm donor not because he is a man, but because he's the most direct link she has to her family.  And that's precisely what she is trying so desperately to hold onto.  Now, I don't think she was like, "Oh if I sleep with this guy it'll totally fix everything" or anything, but her family is essentially falling apart and she has no idea how to pick up the pieces, and he is the only connection she can cling to.  Plus he sees her, and he's a small part of this much bigger thing that she wants and needs to see her again.

The whole movie was very raw and human, and extremely well portrayed, in my opinion.  And even though it did do the whole lesbian-sleeps-with-a-man thing, I didn't think it fell into that terrible, familiar trope.

Last edited by filmefatale (2010-12-25 23:35:04)

Quote Post 4