The Descendants - 2011

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Ad Hominem Enterprises

Directed by Alexander Payne

Cast:

• Matt King – George Clooney
• Alexandra King – Shailene Woodley
• Scottie King – Amara Miller
• Sid – Nick Krause
• Brian Speer – Matthew Lillard
• Julie Speer – Judy Greer
• Cousin Hugh – Beau Bridges
• Cousin Milo – Michael Ontkean
• Scott Thorson – Robert Forster

Story: Matt King has a few decisions to make. Matt is a real estate broker in Hawaii, and he and his relatives are the direct descendants of King Kamehameha the first. His wife, Elizabeth, is in the hospital following a boating accident that has left her in a coma. His daughters are almost strangers to him. And he is the executor of a huge estate on the island of Oahu that is up for disposition. Some of the family wants to sell, some of the family is against the sale, but the law of perpetuity in Hawaii is changed and they will lose the land in seven years. Matt tries to do the best he can. His oldest daughter, Alexandra, is angry, and he doesn't know why. He assumes it is over his failure as a father, but she tells him it is because she discovered her mother was having an affair. Soon the doctor at the hospital tells Matt his wife will not wake up, and there is a DNR order on file for her, so he must find a way to let his daughters know their mother will soon die. Through all of this, Matt is obsessed with finding the man his wife was having an affair with, and strangely, the search leads to a reconnecting of Matt and his daughters.

Review: George Clooney continues to impress and amaze in this sometime sad, sometime delightful story of a father reuniting with his family. This role is reminiscent of his role in “One Fine Day” with Michelle Pfeiffer, but offers a little less wit and a little more maturity. Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller are excellent as the two daughters, with Shailene demonstrating a savvy wisdom in her delivery of lines most adults would find difficult. Robert Forster plays the wife's father, and he gives us an insight that most people would find rare, the father who trusts his son-in-law and cares for his wife at home in her battle with Alzheimer disease. All of the characters in this film are dealing with dramatic changes in their lives, and their interactions and decisions are really what we empathize with. This kind of film has to connect with the audience, and this one does an excellent job. Special hats off to Matthew Lillard, a young star of the past whose appearances have been fewer and fewer of late, and to Beau Bridges, who as Cousin Hugh reminds us that we all have a Cousin Hugh in the family. Rated R for language and sexual references, I think most families will agree this is a film for the teens, especially for families who have had to deal with loss. Definitely collectible for Clooney fans.