THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

I want to see this movie, because I always admire Annette Bening and Julianne Moore's acting abilities. That alone would have been my motivation, but then I read this  review in the New York Times and was captivated by this paragraph...

It is almost impossible to find the right shorthand for these women. Their speech patterns and habits certainly seem familiar. The screenwriters’ ear for the way therapeutic catchphrases and hazy insights recalled from college reading lists filter into everyday conversation is as unerring as Ms. Moore’s offbeat comic timing or Ms. Bening’s tactical use of silence.
The Kids are All Right
New York Times Reviewer A.O. Scott

I absolutely love dialogue-rich films. Of course stage plays mesmerize me. Maybe because I'm so verbal and because I grew up with and continually interact with 4 loquacious sisters and a brother with none-too-shabby verbal skills. Texting will never over-take phone calls or emails with this family. We have too much to say, and nuance is everything.

Ah-h-h-h! I think I've just come up with another nail in a texting coffin--texting is flat. It's words on a screen. Just words. Badly spelled words. You convey a message, but not full meaning. It's quick and dirty. And, it's shallow.

On the other hand, it's quick and dirty and sometimes that's all a person needs, I guess. But, not in our family. We have too many words and sounds and pregnant pauses. Well, that's a lie. We really don't pause because that gives the other person too much of a window to steal the conversational thread.

Back to the movie--I love movie dialogue that presumes you get the vernacular. You've read the books, seen the films, and interacted with a shrink. I love quick minds and rapid-fire conversation.

This film isn't playing anywhere near where I live or will be this week. It must be in limited release. If I didn't have such a busy week ahead I would definitely make my way into Chicago to see this film. Maybe twice.