Thursday, July 02, 2009

Julianne Moore + Annette Bening. Rejoice!

Lisa Cholodenko is flirting with me*. How else to explain the multi-orgasmic news that the writer/director of High Art, one of my all time favorite lesbian movies, is making another and she's making it with two actresses whom I practically can't worship more than I already do? Yesterday, production supposedly began on The Kids Are All Right which will star Julianne Moore and Annette Bening as lovers who've raised two kids together. Their two teenagers (played by Josh Hutcherson and Alice in Wonderland herself Mia Wasikowska) decide to meet the original sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo).

Psycho, The Hours, Running With Scissors

Both actresses have played lesbians before. Moore re-interpreted Psycho's Lila Crane as a record shop dyke and she definitely didn't want to sleep with her husband in The Hours
Come to bed, Laura Brown
For Bening's part she ditched her screen husband for some self-actualizing labia time in Running With Scissors. Her paramours included both Kristin Chenoweth and Gabrielle Union (well done, Annette!)

There's a rumor that the new film will have a bit of steam and I hope that's true. It sounds more like a family dramedy than a romance but I'm hoping Cholodenko finds a way to bring out or at least hint at the passion of the two moms. The Bening is 51 and Julianne is 49. That's way too old for standard Hollywood romances but Bening and Moore are not just any actresses. Neither has ever shied away from forcefully wielding her sexuality onscreen. And Cholodenko is not just any filmmaker. One of her unique gifts as a writer/director is her understanding that women don't stop being sexual at 35. Her previous films have featured unashamed portrayals of sexually vibrant mature women: Patricia Clarkson and Ally Sheedy were nearing 40 when they sizzled together in High Art and Frances McDormand gave her sexiest performance ever in Laurel Canyon when she was 46. McDormand was so confident in that movie that it was easy to believe that the younger, ridiculously sexy musician played by Alessandro Nivola would be into her.

*If Lisa is flirting with me I would like her to know that I am TOTALLY into the idea of a threesome and have always loved her girlfriend Wendy. She's my favorite part of Prince's Kiss video** and I even know all the words to "Fruit at the Bottom" and "This is The Life"! Squeeeee**

**Someone rescue Nathaniel from this 80s binge he's been stuck in all month. It's starting to get scary.

16 comments:

Bernardo said...

We can't forget that these are two of the most talent and with no-Oscar actress. A really big injustice. Maybe this movie will change something... I really hope so. Annete for leading and Moore for suporting. lol

Henry said...

Lila Crane was gay in Psycho?! How did I not see this before? Oh, yeah. It was because I was too busy clawing my eyes out while watching the ghastly (and brutally unnecessary) remake of Psycho.

And who WOULD want to sleep with John C. Reilly? His face looks like a leather bag.

Not the biggest fan of Bening (Has she really done anything good in the last ten years?), but I'm willing to check this movie out because I worship Julianne Moore.

NicksFlickPicks said...

I'm as excited as you are! Totally makes my morning to learn this.

adelutza said...

This is awesome news. Can't wait!

Sean said...

"Self-actualizing labia time."

Ha HA!

Jordan Wellin said...

Julianne will finally win her Oscar for this, I pray.

And hopefully Mark Ruffalo (though I do truly love him) will not sound like he's asleep for once in this film.

Alex F. said...

Hate to be a buzzkill but I'm already weary of the part where the sperm donor re-enters their lives and upsets the family dynamic. This reeks of a familiar plot -- i.e. the "lesbian" that suddenly decides that all she needed was to meet the right dick to cure her of the gay. Blech.

TheMedwenitsch said...

John C. Reilly is HOT!

NATHANIEL R said...

Alex F... i highly doubt that's coming in a film written by Lisa Cholodenko. She's out and proud and her films don't usually have weird heteronormative messages.

Derreck said...

Julianne Moore and Annette Bening are only two years apart?!?! yikes. damn. Julianne does not look 49 at all.

Anyways, it would be so weird for Annette to get an Oscar nom opposite Hilary Swank ("Amelia")....for the third time. But hey, she'd probably get the sympathy vote and win.

and even though i love "cake hating lesbian" as a description (thanks for that gem, Nat.), i never really saw her as a lesbian. MAYBE bisexual. But, In my mind, the depression she was suffering from affected her refusal to sleep with her husband (John C. Reilly) and that kiss with Kitty (Toni Collette). That kiss came off as a way of comforting Kitty or one of intimacy rather than sexual attraction.

BUT Laura's depression could've also stemmed from not being able to live out her lesbian desires in addition to being trapped in a life that she doesn't want to live.

Damn Laura Brown and her complexity! lol.

and there's nothing wrong with an 80's binge. I freaking love 80's music. Perfect for hair bands and deliciously syrupy ballads...

and MANNEQUIN. oh, man, i love that horrible movie so much. It gave us Hollywood Montrose and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now".

Anonymous said...

"Anyways, it would be so weird for Annette to get an Oscar nom opposite Hilary Swank ("Amelia")....for the third time."

Well, Annete also have "Mother and Child" directed by Rodrigo Garcia, and the film is now in post-production. She's Naomi Watts' mother

Anonymous said...

Can I take this opportunity to agree that Frances McDormand was hot hot HOT in Laurel Canyon? I'm queer as a $3 bill, and I would've had sex with her.

Andrew David said...

Wow. That is an A-MAZ-ING pairing. Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson are also really talented young actors.

jessie said...

It could be the small gay indie that could of 2010.

But I think Bening has more of a shot at awards with "Mother and Child".

Also, Julianne Moore was confirmed recently for "The Special Relationship", which starts shooting in late July. She plays Hillary Clinton in it. Could you get more baity than that ?

Oh, and I know it's produced by the BBC, but a lot of their films are released THEATRICALLY, although I read it was a TV movie. Can anyone confirm ?

Fernando Moss said...

Uh... Love High Art... Ally Sheedy should have won the Oscar that year, but of course she was never going to get even the nomination.

Also, love Julianne Moore, the Bening not so much but I think she's capable of great performances so I'm excited as well for this movie.

NATHANIEL R said...

jessie yeah she may have to settle for an emmy for the clinton role.

but playing the clinton's didn't really get movie awards for Travolta and Thompson so who knows.