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The Descendants

  • 20112011
  • K-7K-7
  • 1h 55min
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
237K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,924
1,029
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
George Clooney in The Descendants (2011)
A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.
Play trailer2:21
9 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDrama

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

IMDb RATING
7.3/10
237K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,924
1,029
  • Director
    • Alexander Payne
  • Writers
    • Alexander Payne(screenplay)
    • Nat Faxon(screenplay)
    • Jim Rash(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • George Clooney
    • Shailene Woodley
    • Amara Miller
Top credits
  • Director
    • Alexander Payne
  • Writers
    • Alexander Payne(screenplay)
    • Nat Faxon(screenplay)
    • Jim Rash(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • George Clooney
    • Shailene Woodley
    • Amara Miller
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 508User reviews
    • 565Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 65 wins & 147 nominations total

    Videos9

    International Version
    Trailer 2:21
    International Version
    TV Spot
    Trailer 1:08
    TV Spot
    The Descendants: Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:18
    The Descendants: Trailer #1
    The Descendants
    Clip 1:23
    The Descendants
    The Descendants
    Clip 1:24
    The Descendants
    The Descendants
    Clip 0:41
    The Descendants
    The Descendants
    Clip 0:42
    The Descendants
    "Story"
    Featurette 3:46
    "Story"
    What Roles Has Shailene Woodley Missed Out On?
    Video 3:04
    What Roles Has Shailene Woodley Missed Out On?

    Photos164

    Shailene Woodley in The Descendants (2011)
    George Clooney in The Descendants (2011)
    Shailene Woodley in The Descendants (2011)
    George Clooney in The Descendants (2011)
    Judy Greer in The Descendants (2011)
    George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, and Nick Krause in The Descendants (2011)
    Judy Greer and Shailene Woodley in The Descendants (2011)
    George Clooney and Alexander Payne in The Descendants (2011)
    George Clooney in The Descendants (2011)
    Alexander Payne in The Descendants (2011)
    George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Nick Krause, and Amara Miller in The Descendants (2011)
    George Clooney in The Descendants (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    George Clooney
    George Clooney
    • Matt Kingas Matt King
    Shailene Woodley
    Shailene Woodley
    • Alexandra Kingas Alexandra King
    Amara Miller
    Amara Miller
    • Scottie Kingas Scottie King
    Nick Krause
    Nick Krause
    • Sidas Sid
    Patricia Hastie
    Patricia Hastie
    • Elizabeth Kingas Elizabeth King
    Grace A. Cruz
    • Scottie's Teacheras Scottie's Teacher
    Kim Gennaula
    • School Counseloras School Counselor
    Karen Kuioka Hironaga
    • Barb Higginsas Barb Higgins
    Carmen Kaichi
    • Lani Higginsas Lani Higgins
    Kaui Hart Hemmings
    Kaui Hart Hemmings
    • Matt's Secretary Noeas Matt's Secretary Noe
    Beau Bridges
    Beau Bridges
    • Cousin Hughas Cousin Hugh
    Matt Corboy
    Matt Corboy
    • Cousin Ralphas Cousin Ralph
    Matt Esecson
    • Cousin Halas Cousin Hal
    Michael Ontkean
    Michael Ontkean
    • Cousin Miloas Cousin Milo
    Stanton Johnston
    • Cousin Stanas Cousin Stan
    Jon McManus
    • Cousin Sixas Cousin Six
    • (as Jonathan McManus)
    Hugh Foster
    • Cousin Winkas Cousin Wink
    Tiare R. Finney
    • Cousin Connieas Cousin Connie
    • Director
      • Alexander Payne
    • Writers
      • Alexander Payne(screenplay)
      • Nat Faxon(screenplay)
      • Jim Rash(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit
    Matt King's family has lived in Hawaii for generations. His extended family - namely he and his many cousins - own 25,000 acres of undeveloped land on Kauai held in trust, which ends in seven years. The easiest thing for the family to do is sell the land before the seven years is up, which is all the talk in the state, as, to whom they sell the property could very well change the face of Kauai. Despite the vast wealth that comes with the land, Matt has decided to live solely on what he earns as a Honolulu lawyer. However, Matt has not had a perfect life living in Hawaiian paradise as many believe. He and his wife Elizabeth were having problems in their marriage. She recently got into a boating accident which has placed her in a coma. Their seventeen year old daughter Alex is in boarding school on the big island since they couldn't handle her rebellion, which was made all the worse by an argument of an unknown nature between mother and daughter during Alex's last visit home. And their ten year old daughter Scottie is starting to act out, which Matt doesn't know if he can handle, potentially raising her on his own. Matt decides to bring Alex home upon news that Elizabeth is brain dead, and that she will be pulled off life support. But revelations about Elizabeth and Alex's argument, which is tied indirectly to the issue of the land sale, leads to some decisions on Matt's part about what is best for him in both mourning Elizabeth's death and what is the best thing to do about the land, the two decisions which may be incompatible. —Huggo
    father daughter relationshipboating accidenthawaiicheating wifedying mother69 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • K-7
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Matt King describes his inherited wealth, he says, "I don't want my daughters growing up entitled and spoiled. And I agree with my father; you give your children enough money to do something but not enough to do nothing." This is based on a well-known quote from billionaire investor Warren Buffett in a 1986 Fortune magazine interview. "Setting up his heirs with a lifetime supply of food stamps just because they came out of the right womb can be harmful for them and is an antisocial act. To him the perfect amount to leave children is 'enough money so that they would feel they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing.'"
    • Goofs
      In Hawai'i, you must be five miles from shore before scattering ashes/cremains into the ocean. When the Kings are in their canoe, Waikiki is too close, they are no more than a half mile from land.
    • Quotes

      Matt King: I don't want my daughters growing up entitled and spoiled. And I agree with my father - you give your children enough money to do something but not enough to do nothing.

    • Connections
      Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.17 (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Ka Makani Ka'ili Aloha
      Written by Matthew Kane

      Arranged and Performed by Gabby Pahinui

      Courtesy of Panini Records

    User reviews508

    Review
    Top review
    Pretty excellent, but definitely sort of odd
    I never really had high expectations for The Descendants. First off, I have never seen an Alexander Payne film, and the story itself sort of seemed like the type of film that would end up on a long list of solid films that end up being unmemorable. Much to my surprise, it has a sort of tone that you don't see often in these types of films.

    This is a film that carefully treads around the edges. I wouldn't say it ever became too sentimental. Yet I also expected a snappy dialogue- filled, fast-paced dramedy, sort of like Reitman's Up in the Air, that other Clooney film. The film is written and plays out like a real life situation. One could maybe try to say that about any film like this, but here it rings true. To say it's slow or fast paced isn't really what matters, but what matters is how much it develops its characters with real richness and detail. In a way, the screenplay is helped a lot by Payne as a director, not because the writing is thin, but because the direction allows the film to feel sort of spontaneous. This isn't a film full of twists or turns, and yet at every corner when you try to analyze it, you realize how unpredictable it all feels.

    I have also heard one thing about it in many reviews, and that is how it's messy like life. One can easily read those descriptions and just roll his or her eyes, but that description really holds truth. The film doesn't feel to glamorous or stylized. It certainly isn't the dramedy with witty one liners that I expected. Instead, when it's all over, you take a step back and realize that it all feels sort of messy. It's not complicated, and in fact it's a pretty simple film, but even the editing helps this certain mood that the film leaves you in. It's simple, yet hard to really pinpoint and describe how it all comes together or how it's something of real importance. This is completely refreshing, especially when films these days hammer you with these sort of messages or details.

    I now want to talk about the performances, which are stellar. Clooney just won the Globe a couple of hours ago, and now I look at it and think to myself "wow... of all of his performances, this is getting him awards?". It's a very restrained performance, and no, it isn't a transformation. Some will once again say that Clooney is only "playing himself", but to me, when Clooney does great, he really nails it. He gives all of his performances something distinct about them, and this is perhaps his wild-card character. He doesn't add in his usual smoothness that we see a lot from him. This stands apart, and I am surprised for that reason for its success. Shailene Woodley is fantastic here as well, and really impressed me with the sort of indignation and maturity that she mixes together. She's better than most of the contenders for the Oscar in her category, more specifically Octavia Spencer, Melissa McCarthy, and Janet McTeer.

    I loved this film. I wasn't sure of it while I was seeing it, but after it's over, as hard as it is to really describe and know why I enjoyed it so much, I did. The sort of atmosphere and mood that it had me in doesn't come along very often, especially not with dramas like this.
    helpful•10
    7
    • Red_Identity
    • Jan 16, 2012

    FAQ1

    • The movie is based on Kaui Hart Hemmings's debut novel. Have any other adaptations of debut novels had this much success?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 3, 2012 (Finland)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tình thân
    • Filming locations
      • Hanalei, Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA
    • Production companies
      • Fox Searchlight Pictures
      • Ad Hominem Enterprises
      • Dune Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $20,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $82,584,160
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,190,096
      • Nov 20, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $177,243,185
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 55min
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Datasat
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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