The Descendants (2011)

A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.

Director:

Alexander Payne

Writers:

Alexander Payne (screenplay), Nat Faxon (screenplay),

Stars:

George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller

Won 1 Oscar. Another 51 wins & 82 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Clooney	...	Matt King
Shailene Woodley	...	Alexandra King
Amara Miller	...	Scottie King
Nick Krause	...	Sid
Patricia Hastie	...	Elizabeth King
Grace A. Cruz	...	Scottie's Teacher
Kim Gennaula	...	School Counselor
Karen Kuioka Hironaga	...	Barb Higgins
Carmen Kaichi	...	Lani Higgins
Kaui Hart Hemmings	...	Matt's Secretary Noe
Beau Bridges	...	Cousin Hugh
Matt Corboy	...	Cousin Ralph
Matt Esecson	...	Cousin Hal
Michael Ontkean	...	Cousin Milo
Stanton Johnston	...	Cousin Stan

Storyline

With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront the man who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune.

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Plot Keywords:

daughters | boating accident | affair | coma | lawyer | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language including some sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 December 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los descendientes

Filming Locations:

Hanalei, Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$7,345,720 (USA) (18 November 2011)

Gross:

$82,624,961 (USA) (27 April 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Ad Hominem Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Elizabeth's mother is referred to as "tutu" in one scene. This is Hawaiian pidgin slang for grandparent.

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Goofs

After Julie has left the hospital room and Matt is looking at his wife, the right hand is away from the left one. But in the next shot from behind Elizabeth the right hand is turned more towards her left hand, though she can't move her hands.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Matt King: My friends on the mainland think just because I live in Hawaii, I live in paradise. Like a permanent vacation. We're all just out here sipping Mai Tais, shaking our hips, and catching waves. Are they insane?

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Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.18 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"The Harshest Place On Earth"
(from the motion picture March of the Penguins (as March Of The Penguins))
Composed by Alex Wurman
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

User Reviews

Certainly one of the year's best

My only regret about this movie is that it took me this long to see it. The Descendants, is one of those films that fully succeeds at what it is trying to accomplish. George Clooney fully engulfs himself into the character of Matt King, and his emotional range sways from moments of pure pleasure to those of betrayal and discomfort. Clooney's spectacular and award winning performance is only outdone by Alexander Payne's ability to portray a beautiful slice of heaven in Hawaii while at the same time breaking the viewers heart with devastating character developments and scenes that will undoubtedly have an emotionally conscious viewer on the verge of tears. Even the brief supporting roles of Beau Bridges, Matthew Lilliard, and Judy Greer feel so real and intense that at times it felt like I wasn't watching a film at all, but rather the lives of several individuals in some of their most vulnerable moments. To put it simply, Clooney gives a knockout performance and the Descendants is surely one the most outstanding films of the year. If I had to choose one, this would have to be my choice for the Best Picture of 2011. A+