What it’s about
Joni (Wasikowska) and Laser (Hutcherson) are the artificially conceived children of lesbian partners Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore). Before Joni heads off to college, the two decide to contact the sperm donor they share in common. Their father turns out to be free-wheeling, motorcycle-riding restauranteur Paul (Ruffalo). His entry into their lives shakes up an otherwise stable, if fragile, family dynamic; the tightly wound Nic is suspicious, but looser Jules discovers an odd attraction. Will the addition of Paul to the nest be a permanent one, or will his arrival tear them all apart?
Why we love it
Lisa Cholodenko’s warm and wise comedy packs a pile of complicated emotions into its slender but well-constructed frame. It’s an unalloyed pleasure to watch her central quintet of actors; the adult vets bring out their best, while the teenaged newcomers more than pull their weight. The whole team seems buoyed by the myriad pleasures contained in the knowing, often hilarious script Cholodenko co-wrote with Stuart Blumberg. A raucous ode to families of every shape and size that rings consistently true. You’ll find these kids are more than just “All Right.”