Lisa Cholodenko – Director
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg – Screenplay
Annette Benning, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowski
Ok, I’m not trying to say that I have seen all the movies up for Academy Awards, and I’m not trying to make some big sweeping generalizations but, I think the theme this year is… "If you do a lesbian sex scene: Oscar/ Golden Globe/ SAG nod!” Ok now that I’ve got that out…
With Oscar buzz abounding, this is perhaps not the first movie on your list to see before the big night (especially if you find yourself a male of the species.) However, it should be. With the perfect mix of humor and drama, this flawless cast and down to earth, effortlessly topical screenplay delivers a wonderfully entertaining film that leaves the audience thinking.
I have to be honest, when I first saw the previews for the movie, the liberal in me was all set to be like, Yea! Lesbians! With kids! Alright! I am going to see this movie and debate and make my views on homosexuality and social justices known! So I sat down with my customary glass of wine and equally liberal roommate, ready to cheers each other for our stunning acceptance and support of alternative lifestyles. And we were flabbergasted to find that the lesbian angle had little to do with the actual movie. While you can tell that the writer (or perhaps behind the scenes, politically correct, liberal media producers) attempted to slightly emphasize it – the constant and obvious references to “moms” or the “is our son gay?” debate – the overarching question of “what makes a family?” and the struggles everyone faces prevail.
To set the general framework, the film opens with the kids of a lesbian couple, Nic (Benning) and Jules (Moore), attempting to contact their sperm donor father. Clearly not taking the turn anyone expected, no sooner does hippie, carefree dad, Paul (Ruffulo), enter the picture, than he begins a passionate affair with hippie, carefree Jules. Upon discovery by Nic, the alpha, control freak half of the partnership, the family falls into utter disarray, leaving everyone questioning their role in the family structure. Alongside, is the brilliant and sensitive daughter, Joni (Wasikowski), cautiously getting excited for her first year of college, and her more reticent brother (Josh Hutcherson) trying to live his teenage years without getting caught up in the wrong crowd.
While the editing could have been a bit more discerning – a few story lines go nowhere and could have been cut to make a long movie feel tighter and more forward moving – the effortless screenplay makes even the more stagnant moments foreplay to the next scene. Speaking of foreplay, it should come as no surprise that there are more than a few sex scenes. To name one - Julianne Moore, Annette Benning, a vibrator, porn. Hey, it’s a lesbian film, you’ve got have some. However (not to ruin it for anyone looking for a thrill) the sex, like the lesbian relationship itself, mostly serves to set the scene for a more important message. Not that lesbian couples have sex, but that when you accidentally hit the remote and turn hard core porn to maximum levels and your kids hear, its awk. For everyone.
Overall, whether you’re in a relationship, gay, an angsty teen, a sperm donor or just an unfortunate soul praying not to hear their parents doing it, this movie will speak to you. The acting is superb (keep an eye out for Mia Wasikowski!) While everyone and their grandmother knows that Benning, Moore, and Ruffulo have well-crafted acting chops, newcomer – well not quite but relatively - Wasikowski effortlessly plays Joni as simultaneously a clever, astute observer of adult dynamics as well as an innocent, sensitive teen who quickly finds out there’s more to marriage than she can comprehend.
*Peepers open for Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg for Original Screenplay
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