Do You Think It's all Right?

There are three plots at work in "The Kids Are All Right": a married couple hitting the rocks, two kids attempting to connect with their biological father, and a man coasting through his late 30s getting a major taste of adulthood. All of them are pretty good, unfortunately they feel like three different movies crammed into one. 

The couple is Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), who are preparing for the impending college-bound departure of their daughter Joni (Mia Wasikowska). Joni's younger brother, the oddly named Laser (Josh Hutcherson), is pressuring her (as an 18-year-old) to inquire about their biological father's contact information. She concedes, and the two meet up with Paul (Mark Ruffalo), the hippie-ish owner of an organic restaurant.

All five members of the cast are good (and Bening and Moore have some stand-out moments), although none of these veteran actors are stretching their talents. The screenplay, by Lisa Cholodenko (also the director) and Stuart Blumberg, can't shake the sensation that the viewer is watching a film that's been written and crafted in a certain way.  As a director, Chodolenko's smart enough to get out of the way and allow the actors to carry the weight.

The movie is a pleasant, sometimes funny, occasionally moving experience that never seriously falters, but never adds up to anything special. It's not good, it's not bad, it's just sort of all right.
Plus the soundtrack does not feature the Who song of the title.