Parents Guide for
The Descendants (2011) More at IMDbPro »

Matt's wife was cheating on him. None of the affair is shown, but it is talked about a lot and it becomes a main theme of the movie.

Alexandra wears revealing bathing suits and underwear throughout the movie. She is once seen lying face down on the beach with her bra string untied briefly (non sexual). Ten year old Scottie stuffs her bra with sand, and is told to empty it promptly

Eight year old Scottie tries on some of Alexandra's underwear at one point.

Scottie briefly talks about how one of her friends' dads watches porn. We see her trying to look up porn, with semi-explicit images seen (her father and sister stop her, they are all on the couch ordering movies from on demand).

Crass sexual language is used throughout, including the use of the f-word several times in sexual context.

Sid receives a black eye from the grandfather which is present through most of the movie.

We hear details on a water ski accident, as well as a victim of drunk driving.

Elizabeth is seen in a coma several times during the movie (emotional, and slightly disturbing)

About 25 f-words and a dozen or so s-words. God's name is abused nearly 10 times. (Half the time it's paired with "damn.") Jesus' name is misused twice. We hear multiple uses of "twit," "pussy" and "prick" (all as derogatory put-downs; often said by Matt's daughters). Matt calls Sid a "retard." We hear "a," "bitch" and "hell." Scottie makes an obscene hand gesture.

Alex is clearly drunk the first time we see her, and she tells her dad she's only drinking. It is implied that she has had some trouble with other drugs before.

Sid mentions that he always has weed with him but it's never seen.

Social occasions involve alcoholic beverages.

When Judy visits Matt's wife, she goes through a slightly humorous, but somewhat intense moment of tears and screaming

A few other emotional/intense scenes during the movie, all involving Elizabeth's coma. The scenes are not frightnening but emotionally intense.