Over the weekend I watched The Kids are All Right. All I knew going into the movie was that it was about a couple of lesbian parents (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore).
This is a good time to say that I have a thing for gay/lesbian couples. I really think I must have been gay in a previous life. For instance, I am in love with Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi. I think they are so adorable together and I wish they would be my best friends so I could hang out with them all the time. It’s not just women, either – I love Neil Patrick Harris and was so happy to learn that he’s in a committed relationship and that he and his partner have twins via surrogacy. It makes me happy. I melt when I see these examples of true, loving commitment, especially when I think of all the extra obstacles each person likely overcame to get where they are. It’s part of the reason I love the show Glee so much, because I enjoy thinking about a whole generation of kids who just accept others: gay, straight, whatever.
Anyway, so all I knew going in was that it was a moving about lesbian parenting. What I didn’t know was that it would raise all sorts of issues about sperm donation.
While infertility itself wasn’t the topic, I felt like I was in familiar territory. I’m not sure it sent the best message about using donor sperm, although the writer/director did get pregnant through that method herself. But, it was refreshing to see a non-traditional family portrayed in a very real (to me) way. The movie was honest about raising teenagers and working through a marriage that has gone stale. It was less about Annette and Julianne’s characters being lesbians and more about them struggling in the same way all married couples struggle.
All in all, I really liked the movie. What I took away from it is that families come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not 1 mom + 1 dad = 2 biological children that matters, but providing a loving, stable, compassionate home.
Also, Annette Bening ROCKED it and she totally deserves an Oscar.
2 comments:
Thanks for the heads-up! I've been toying with the idea of seeing this. Maybe now I actually will. :)
I liked it too except for the subtext that all a woman needs is the right dick to find her and she will come back to the home team. Lame.
Your thoughts are really good - I didnt consider it that way.
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