The Descendants (2011)

A land baron tries to reconnect 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 66 wins & 142 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

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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

father daughter relationship | hawaii | dying mother | bikini girl | daughters | 

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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:

Lihue Airport - 3901 Mokulele Loop, Lihue, Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,190,096, 20 November 2011, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$82,584,160

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$177,243,185

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures,Ad Hominem Enterprises,Dune Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Goofs

As Matt is running down the beach when Brian approaches, the beach is "natural". As Brian passes, the beach over Matt's shoulder has been raked, specifically where Brian is running. As Matt turns and chases Brian, the beach is "natural" again.

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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

Referenced in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Josh's Sister Is Getting Married! (2016)

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Soundtracks

Pua Lani
Written and Performed by Jeff Peterson
Courtesy of Peterson Productions

User Reviews

King George's court

I love the freedom oozing from Alexander Payne's films. The clarity and simplicity of the idea and its execution. All the answers and unity found under a grieving cloud. George Clooney's Matt King is, quite simply, superb. The humanity of the man mingling with his contradictions. So refreshing to spend time with this immediately recognizable man. I couldn't help but loving him. If it's true that Clooney dominates the film, he is surrounded by compelling characters. His eldest daughter, played by the remarkable Shailene Woodley for instance or her boyfriend, a winning Nick Krause, contribute to make "The Descendants" one of the best films of 2011.