The Kids Are All Right, trailer

It’s been around 3 or 4 days already, and I guess the reason I didn’t jump on the multiple tips by readers is because my hopes are so much higher for The Kids Are Alright than this trailer would seem to justify. I understand the need to introduce movie with touchy subjects by featuring highlights with cross-over appeal, but the formula for this teaser touches on a few too many least common denominators.

All the same, as much as this makes me wary that the initial marketing is a bit off-key, there’s enough promise showing through the dysfunctional facade to hint at richer expressions percolating below the surface. If this preview lures audiences past their prejudices long enough to let the movie itself say something more important (as I feel confident it does), then it’s proof that bait and switch doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.

The Kids Are Alright looked like an awards magnet for Bening, Moore and Ruffalo from the first buzz it generated at Sundance, and it won Best Feature Film at the Berlin Film Festival too (the Teddy Bear, not the Golden one). The trailer does spotlight the prestigious reviews, so Focus knows its got a hot commodity. Just wish the trailer would bait the hook a little better.