The script, to my surprise, is very different than the movie.  And get this… I like the movie WAY better.

To avoid any spoilers, my explanation is after the jump.  If you’ve seen the movie, please proceed.  If you haven’t seen the movie… bummer dude… try to catch it in theaters or make sure you catch it when it’s released on DVD.

Besides some key “trailer” scenes being different, such as Mark Ruffalo’s awkward, ”I love lesbians,” and Annette Benning and Julianne Moore’s explanation of how an incident with one of their tongues plays a part in how they met, there were some more significant variations between was was originally written and what ended up in the final movie.

What I liked about the script is the clear journey that each character goes on.  Their flaws are clearly defined right away and each family member is then directly affected and changed because of their interaction with Mark Ruffalo. 

But, while the ending of the movie had me feeling satisfied, the ending of the script just left me pissed.  Julianne Moore’s character never fully breaks away from her imaginary world of no consequences by blowing off and hanging up on Mark Ruffalo’s character.  Instead, she tries to keep him involved in the family’s life, trading what ends up being in the film as an incredible “I’m sorry” speech in front of the TV, for an opportunity to express why Mark Ruffalo’s character shouldn’t be exonerated for being a part of what happened.

And instead of the entire family cleanly cutting themselves from Mark Ruffalo’s character as they do in the movie, in the script, he actually travels with the family to drop off the daughter at college.

We don’t ever get the emotional scene of Julianne Moore’s character throwing herself at the mercy of her family, or the powerful shot of the two mother’s saying goodbye to their daughter and embracing her together as unified parents.

The original script leaves us irritated that Julianne Moore’s character never comes back to reality and wondering why the hell Annette Benning’s character would be cool with everything so easily.

The script fails to express the severity of the pain and desturuction that cheating on someone can create like the finished movie successfully does.

Writer and director Lisa Cholodenko made some big choices when she decided to make the changes to the final film that I think ended up bringing the movie up to the level of being one of the best of the year.

If you are interested in reading the script, email me and I’ll send it to you, as it’s since been taken off the typical download sites.

If you’ve seen the trailer for The Kids Are All Right, you know that Julianne Moore’s character is unfaithful to her wife, which is why I felt comfortable incorporating that bit into my post title.  If you haven’t seen the film yet, however, you may want to wait to read the remainder of my post until you have done so.

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There has been some uproar amongst lesbian women over how we were portrayed in this summer’s Focus Features film, The Kids Are All Right.  You see, after eighteen years of marriage, Jules, played by Julianne Moore, cheats on her wife.  And not with another woman, but with a man. 

You can see why, when homosexuals are judged on the limited experiences most people use to shape their opinions on gay rights, this would have some lesbo’s throwing their arms up in frustration.

Oh that’s great… we finally make our way into a prominant Hollywood film and the chic representing us feels the immediate need to blow off her family and run off to dick.

But having people sit down to watch this movie and them seeing how Jules succumbs to her marriage strains and sleeps with her male sperm donor is actually a good thing for gay acceptance and here’s why…

About 10 minutes into the movie, we completely forget that we’re watching a lesbian couple.   Instead, we’re absolutely thrown into the drama of a real marriage. 

Jules and Nic, played by Annette Benning, have moved well beyond the thrills of a new relationship.  While there’s no doubt that they love each other, they have lost their spark a bit.  As a result, Jules is absolutely starving to feel loved… dying for someone to make her feel like she’s special again.  Which is why, when she and Mark Ruffalo have an overly energetic fuck, though we’re disappointed… we get it.

Julianne Moore doesn’t keep going back to Mark Ruffalo (who looks amazing, by the way) because he’s a man, but because he makes her feel alive and sexy, something that probably 99.9% of people who have been married for a period of time have found themselves hungry for.

So yes, cheating on your spouse is absolutely wrong.  But if you watch that movie and don’t at least sympathize with Julianne Moore’s character a little bit, then you probably have an unrealistic idea of what making a long term commitment to somebody really entails.

And it’s making those who watch the film empathize with Jules’ character that makes this movie so important.

So lesbians, the movie is a good thing for us.  We don’t want to be portrayed in a fantasy way, like Snow White being awoken by a loving kiss from Princess Cinderella, but as real human beings who experience the same things that straight couples do.  The ups, the downs, the thrills, and the insecurities. 

The movie keeps it real, discussing both the beautiful and difficult elements of being married.  And it’s able to do so with two women.

On a side note, the acting performances in this film are absolutely incredible.  This may be my favorite movie of the year so far.  See the trailer below:

photo of Ellen Page, spotted at Dorothy Surrenders

I’ve been experiencing a little bit of movie mania lately.  My wife and I hit up the movie theaters twice this weekend, and I’ve been trying to make my way through Julie Gray’s GASP list, throwing on movies while I’m writing freelance articles.

Lately I’ve seen…

Inception:  This movie is super cool.  Christopher Nolan brings the same tone and feel that he had in Batman Returns.  There are some plot holes, but it remains captivating and it’s visually stimulating.  And I’m an Ellen Page fan, but can anyone tell me why her character was necessary? My score: 4/5

Despicable Me:  This movie will make you laugh out loud.  It was more of a collection of hilarious scenes than a complete quality film, but it was definitely worth the cash to see it in theaters.  We blew it and didn’t go to a 3D screening, which I hear is super cool.  My score:  4/5

Close Encounters of the Third Kind:  This is one that I watched while writing freelance articles, which may play a part in me not being able to stay engaged into the film.  It’s an older flick, so the pacing probably wouldn’t fly today.  It’s a bit long for my taste.  My score:  3/5

Moonstruck:  I also watched this one while working, but had no problem paying attention to the movie.  Cher and Nicolas Cage are pretty great.  For some reason, I’ve avoided watching this, but it was really enjoyable.  My score:  4/5

I still need to go see The Kids Are All Right.  It’s only showing at theaters that are a bit of a drive to go to, but hopefully it’ll be in my nearby artsy theater next week.  I’ll probably catch it next weekend, along with Salt.

cartoon by Alex Noriega

Friday, Friday, Friday…

It’s exciting and yet I can’t believe that another week has blown by me.

I can’t be upset about my productivity, because I’ve been working nonstop.  Once again, my to-do list simply exceeds the amount of time available.

There have been some things to really be thankful for this week.  Drum roll, please…

+ Made forward steps towards the Super Ted rewrite.

+ Although the house situation is still up in the air, it’s still up in the air.  I’ve gotten over the emotional roller coaster of stress and am now just excited that there’s an opportunity that we may buy a house.  My wife and I decided that if it works out, we’ll get a house.  If it doesn’t work out, we’re taking our asses to Hawaii.  Not a bad position to be in.

+ I spent some quality time with close friends this week.  My two favorites came over for dinner and we watched Work of Art. 

+ I signed up to be an extra next month in Moneyball, a movie that will feature Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

+ Finished a significant number of freelance articles this week.  Putting away money for possible upcoming house expenses is dope.

+ This weekend, my wife and I will be camped out at the movie theater.  The list to watch consists of Inception, Despicable Me, and The Kids Are All Right.  Popcorn and Twizzler overdose is inevitable.

Hope you all have a great weekend.