The summer movie season is known for a lot of things… explosions, CGI overload, superheroes, and sequels to name a few. What it doesn’t really see a lot of are films dealing in human emotions, raw truths, and real life. The Kids Are All Right is one of the rare exceptions to that rule (that I just made up), and aside from implying that anyone would be sexually attracted to Julianne Moore it just may be the most honest film of the summer. Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) are California teens living with their two moms. Nic (Annette Bening) birthed Joni and Jules (Julianne Moore) birthed Laser, both through artificial insemination from the same sperm donor, and life has been fairly conventional up until now. Joni has recently turned eighteen and at the constant nagging of her brother has contacted the sperm bank in the hopes of meeting their biological father. Paul (Mark Ruffalo) is a laid back restaurant owner in a casual relationship with an employee (the stunningly beautiful YaYa DaCosta), and he’s both surprised and intrigued at the idea of meeting the end result of his past donations. Nic and Jules reluctantly welcome Paul into their lives and soon the calm and orderly existence they thought they had is turned upside down.

As is the case of the rest of the Twilight franchise, Eclipse‘s stay at the top is sure to be short-lived. Two new films hit this weekend, neither of which have the potential to set box-office standards but both that are sure to deliver more than dismal numbers. An animated film in Despicable Me and a return to an R-rated legacy in Predators. The top spot is sure to be a toss-up between the two. Thank God it’s not a hand-to-hand battle, because I feel the spear-wielding, shoulder cannon-blasting alien hunters from another world might serve as a challenge to Steve Carell’s plot to steal the moon. The minions might help though, and that could level the playing field if just for a bit. Full box office analysis and predictions after the jump…

According to today’s final line-up press release, LAFF will welcome the world premiere of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third film in the popular glittery vampire romance franchise. But fans might be disappointed about how it’s scheduled to go down.

Two Sundance flicks get their first major marketing tools: The Kids Are All Right and Buried.

What is surprising to me with a film like Lisa Cholodenko’s delightful, layered comedy The Kids Are All Right, is that it will be heralded as a smart, funny look at the “modern family.” Something that we’re only now seeing more of.

Earlier this evening I was reading an excellent piece over at Cinematical by Jenni Miller. In a meditation about the state of affairs of director Roman Polanski, she asks a few interesting questions. Can we separate the artist from their personal life? It’s an interesting discussion to be had — and the situation surrounding Polanski is the perfect catalyst for such a discussion. It seems as though the jury in Berlin had that discussion, and we now have their answer.

Unlike last year, the 2010 edition of the Sundance Film Festival has seen a slow resurgence in pick-ups. In the past few days, three major acquisitions have happened…

The moment after The Kids Are All Right bursts open with a feverish soundtrack, it is easy to see that this movie has great energy. And great energy is a great start.

The Sundance Film Festival is fast-approaching, and while the fest has announced its slate already, they are still adding films here and there.

Indie film! Same-sex couples! Mark Ruffalo! It’s not all as sensational as it sounds, but Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are involved to let us know The Kids Are All Right.