The Descendants
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The Descendants is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne. The screenplay by Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash is based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The film stars George Clooney in the main role, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller in her film debut, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, and Robert Forster, and was released by Fox Searchlight Pictures in the United States on November 18, 2011, after being screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

Tracing the journey of attorney and land baron Matt King, who struggles with unexpected occurrences in his monotonous life, The Descendants was a critical and financial success, grossing $177 million against a $20 million budget and receiving acclaim for the performances of Clooney and Woodley, Payne s direction and writing, and Kevin Tent s editing. The film was nominated for five Oscars at the 84th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Payne, and Best Actor for Clooney, winning one for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film also won two Golden Globe Awards; Best Picture – Drama and Best Actor – Drama for Clooney.

Plot

Matthew Matt King is a Honolulu-based attorney and the sole trustee of a family trust of 25,000 acres (100 km2) of pristine land on Kauai. The land has great monetary value, but is also a family legacy. While Matt (like his father before) has ably managed his own finances, most of his cousins have squandered their inheritances. With the trust expiring in seven years due to the rule against perpetuities, the King clan is pressuring Matt to sell the land for hundreds of millions of dollars. Amidst these discussions, a boating accident has rendered Matt s wife, Elizabeth, comatose. With Elizabeth hospitalized, Matt is forced to cope with his two troubled daughters, 10-year-old Scottie, who seeks attention by bullying other children, and 17-year-old Alex with a history of substance abuse who is away at a private boarding school on the Big Island. Doctors determine that Elizabeth s coma is irreversible and her living will directs all life support to be discontinued. When Matt tells Alex, she reveals she learned Elizabeth was having an affair during her last visit, causing a major rift between mother and daughter.

Two close family friends, Kai and Mark Mitchell, tell Matt that Elizabeth was unhappy and loved Brian Speer, a real estate agent, and wanted a divorce. After Matt informs friends about Elizabeth s condition so they can say goodbye, he decides Brian should also have an opportunity to do the same. He and the girls, along with Alex s slacker friend Sid, travel to Kauai to find Brian. While there, Matt s cousin, Hugh, mentions that Brian is brother-in-law to Don Hollitzer, the developer to whom the majority of the family wants to sell the land. Brian stands to make a small fortune from the sales commission. Matt privately confronts Brian and informs him Elizabeth is dying, and offers him an opportunity to say goodbye. Brian says Elizabeth loved him, but he only loves his wife and children, then apologizes to Matt.

Frustrated and fragile from recent events, Matt asks Dr. Johnston to explain Elizabeth s inevitable death to Scottie. Elizabeth s father, Scott, admonishes Matt for failing to be a more generous and loving husband. Withholding his wife s affair, Matt agrees with him, but Sid and Alex unexpectedly defend Matt. At the King family meeting, Matt overrules the majority vote of his cousins, deciding instead to keep the land and look for a way around the rule against perpetuities. Shocked, Hugh tells Matt that the family will take legal action, but Matt is undeterred.

After learning about Brian s affair with Elizabeth, his wife, Julie, comes to the hospital. She tearfully tells a comatose Elizabeth that she wants to hate her for trying to destroy her family, but that she forgives her. Matt comes to terms with his wife s infidelity and impending death. He kisses her goodbye, followed by Alex and Scottie. They later scatter Elizabeth s ashes in the ocean off Waikiki.

Cast

  • George Clooney as Matthew Matt King
  • Shailene Woodley as Alexandra Alex King
  • Amara Miller as Scottie King
  • Nick Krause as Sid
  • Beau Bridges as Hugh King
  • Judy Greer as Julie Speer
  • Matthew Lillard as Brian Speer
  • Robert Forster as Scott Thorson
  • Patricia Hastie as Elizabeth King
  • Mary Birdsong as Kai Mitchell
  • Rob Huebel as Mark Mitchell
  • Milt Kogan as Dr. Johnston
  • Laird Hamilton as Troy
  • Michael Ontkean as Cousin Milo
  • Matt Corboy as Kaiba

Production

The film began its on-location shoot in Hawaii on March 15, 2010. Most of the film was shot in Honolulu and around Hanalei Bay. The location used as Matt King s house lacked the banyan tree described in the book; the filmmakers solved the issue by transplanting a banyan. For the scene where the King family drives up to a ridge to look over their land, the film used a 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) private cattle ranch on the south shore of Kauai, Kipu Ranch. Kaui Hart Hemmings, the author of the novel on which the movie was based, had a cameo as Matt King s secretary.

The private boarding school attended by Alex King was depicted as Mid-Pacific Institute, which is in Honolulu, Oʻahu. Kaui Hart Hemmings stated that Hawaii Preparatory Academy, which is located in Kamuela, Hawaiʻi (the Big Island), was the inspiration for the private boarding school.

Postproduction began on June 14, and continued into February 2011. The film was screened at the Telluride, Toronto and New York film festivals and was originally scheduled to have a limited release on December 16, 2011, but was moved to November 23, 2011, and then November 18, 2011.

The soundtrack uses Hawaiian music, featuring artists including Gabby Pahinui, Ray Kane, Keola Beamer, Lena Machado, Sonny Chillingworth, Jeff Peterson, Makana, Dennis Kamakahi, and Danny Carvalho.

Reception

Box office

The Descendants opened in North America on November 16, 2011, in a limited release in 29 theaters, and grossed $1,190,096, averaging $41,038 per theater and ranking 10th at the box office. The film then had its wide release on December 9 in 876 theaters, and grossed $4,380,138, averaging $5,000 per theater and ranking seventh at the box office. The film was in cinemas for 156 days and its widest release in the United States was 2,038 theaters. The film ended up earning $82,584,160 domestically and $94,659,025 internationally for a total of $177,243,185.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 87% based on 268 reviews, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The website s critical consensus reads, Funny, moving, and beautifully acted, The Descendants captures the unpredictable messiness of life with eloquence and uncommon grace. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating universal acclaim . Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of A− on an A+ to F scale.

Top ten lists

The Descendants has appeared on these critics top-10 lists for the best films of 2011:

Critic Publication Rank
Todd McCarthy The Hollywood Reporter 1st
Betsy Sharkey Los Angeles Times 1st
Don Kaye MSN Movies 1st
Lou Lumenick New York Post 1st
Stephen Holden The New York Times 1st
Marshall Fine Hollywood & Fine 1st
Joe Neumaier Daily News 2nd
Ann Hornaday The Washington Post 2nd
Peter Travers Rolling Stone 3rd
Corben Carpenter Corben Carpenter s Top Ten Lists 3rd
Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune 4th
Anne Thompson IndieWire 4th
Peter Rainer The Christian Science Monitor 5th
Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly 6th
Sean Axmaker MSN Movies 6th
David Denby The New Yorker 7th
Peter Hartlaub San Francisco Chronicle 7th
Jaime N. Christley Slant Magazine 7th
Peter Paras E! Online 7th
Richard T. Jameson MSN Movies 9th
MTV 9th
Jack Gregson ScreenGeeks UK 9th

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Academy Awards February 26, 2012 Best Picture Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Won
Best Film Editing Kevin Tent Nominated
Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences Awards 2012 Best Foreign Film Alexander Payne, Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor Nominated
American Film Institute 2011 Movies of the Year Won
Art Directors Guild 2012 Excellence in Contemporary Film Jane Anne Stewart Nominated
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts January 27, 2012 Best Film – International Nominated
Best Screenplay – International Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Nominated
Best Actor – International George Clooney Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics December 11, 2011 Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Use of Music in a Film Nominated
British Academy Film Awards February 12, 2012 Best Film Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Nominated
Casting Society of America 2012 Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Big Budget Drama Feature John Jackson, John McAlary Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association December 19, 2011 Best Picture Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Nominated
Most Promising Performer Shailene Woodley Nominated
Critics Choice Movie Awards January 12, 2012 Best Picture Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Won
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Young Actor/Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Acting Ensemble Cast Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Nominated
Detroit Film Critics Society 2011 Best Film Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Breakthrough Performance Shailene Woodley Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle 2011 Best Picture Won 2011
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Won
Golden Globes January 15, 2012 Best Picture – Drama Won
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Actor – Drama George Clooney Won
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Nominated
Grammy Awards February 10, 2013 Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards February 25, 2012 Best Film Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Supporting Female Shailene Woodley Won
Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association December 11, 2011 Best Film Won
Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Nominated
MTV Movie Awards June 3, 2012 Best Breakthrough Performance Shailene Woodley Won
National Board of Review 2011 Top 10 Films Won
Best Actor George Clooney Won
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Won
New York Film Critics Online December 11, 2011 Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Won
Online Film Critics Society January 2, 2012 Best Picture Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival January 5–16, 2012 Chairman s Award George Clooney (Also for The Ides of March) Won
Producers Guild of America January 21, 2012 Best Theatrical Motion Picture Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor Nominated
Screen Actors Guild January 29, 2012 Best Ensemble Beau Bridges, George Clooney, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Satellite Awards December 18, 2011 Satellite Award for Best Film Won
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Judy Greer Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Won
Best Editing Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 5, 2011 Best Actor George Clooney Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Won
Best Film Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated

Year 2011
ReleaseDate 2011-12-09
RuntimeMins 115
RuntimeStr 1h 55min
Plot A land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.
Awards Won 1 Oscar, 65 wins & 148 nominations total
Directors Alexander Payne
Writers Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Stars George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller
Produced by Tracy Boyd, Jim Burke, George Parra, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
Music by Jeff Peterson
Cinematography by Phedon Papamichael
Film Editing by Kevin Tent
Casting By John Jackson
Production Design by Jane Ann Stewart
Art Direction by T.K. Kirkpatrick
Set Decoration by Matt Callahan
Costume Design by Wendy Chuck
Makeup Department Julie Hewett, Karen Iboshi Preiser, Debra Rego, Waldo Sanchez
Production Management Renee Confair, Mads Hansen, George Parra, Rick Reynolds
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director Scott August, Tracy Boyd, Richard L. Fox, Joyce McCarthy, Amy Wilkins
Art Department Alvin S. Cabrinha Jr., Kaanoipono Cabrinha, Jonah Chang, Brian Costa, Scott Ejercito, Sidney Etrata, Alexandra Hearn Fernandes, Justin Fischer, Serena Rios Flores, Stani Franklin, Jason Garner, Quintin D. Gasper, Sean Hallock, Craig Hoffmann, Michael Kaahanni Jr., Michael Kaahanui III, Gerard Kaman, Derrick Kaupiko, Eric Kitaoka, Eric Knight, Nancy A. Knight, Nancy Z. Knight, Robert E. Knight, Camille Komine, Ivan M. Lizares, Butch Lum, John Marano, Edward Medeiros Jr., Ace Newman, Shanna Norton, Alvin Pittler, Douglas Rasmussen, Sylvia K. Ringgold, Isaia Robins, Josefa Robins, Kenneth K. Sato, Ben Shafer, Sam Sternthall, Darrell Tachibana, Kaleo Wong, Liloa Wong, Ronn Wong
Sound Department Derek Casari, Patrick Cyccone Jr., Russell Farmarco, Jonathan Fuh, Frank Gaeta, Luis Galdames, José Antonio García, Patrick Giraudi, Brian Hackett, Matthew P. Hanson, Kaspar Hugentobler, Joe Iemola, James Moriana, Chris Navarro, Justin Van Hout, Brett Voss, Christopher Wiecking, Jeffrey Wilhoit, John Soukup
Visual Effects by Salvatore Catanzaro, Mark Dornfeld, Michele Ferrone, Adam Gass, R.J. Harbour, Nicholas Hasson, Paulina Kuszta, Kammie Rivera, Alex Romano, Jose A. Alfonzo, Mikyoung Hahm
Stunts Terry Ahue, Todd Bradley, Craig H. Davidson, Errol Kane, Brian L. Keaulana, Keoni Keaulana, Noland Martin, Paul J. Merino, James K. Miranda, Aden Stay, Marcus Young, Titus Kinimaka
Camera and Electrical Department Rylan Akama, Norman Akau, Mike Bacon, Matthew Berner, Troy Boggess, Richard J. Brock, Gustavo Brum, Cole Chetney, Don Chong, Shawn Christensen, Rick Crum, Chuck Cullen, Kanoa Dahlin, Drew Desjarlais, Charles Ehrlinger, Christian Franklin, Vance Gage, Ray Garcia, James Goldman, Michael J. Gregg, Jeffrey M. Hall, Patrick Hoeschen, Tweed Johnston, Keola Jones, Lee Kaneakua, Kevin Kersting, Don King, Scott Lisetor, Trevor Loomis, Elliot Lucas, Brian Matsumura, Annie McEveety, Allen Mozo, David Pearlberg, Tom Penny, Radan Popovic, P. Scott Sakamoto, Joe Sanchez, Tuiaana Scanlan, Keoki Smith, Monte Swann, Rafael E. Sánchez, Roger Thompson, Brian Tilden, Don Tomich, Raimar van den Bylaardt II, Warner R. Wacha, Mike Weisbrod, Merie Weismiller Wallace, Curtis Wingert, Deena Frooman, Michael Romano
Casting Department Anna Fishburn, Wes Ford, Barbara Harris, Andy Henry, Andy Kleiman, Sherlan N. Koloi, John McAlary, Yesi Ramirez, Susanne Scheel, Katie Taylor, Christian Kaplan, Rachel W. Sutton
Costume and Wardrobe Department Carmen Rodrigues Davis, Dana Kay Hart, Anne Hoss, Michelle Moder, Ivy Chiem Rowan, Susan Strubel, Linda Vollert, Robyn Zucker
Editorial Department Brian Bautista, Christine Carr, Fred Chandler, Mindy Elliott, Joe Finley, Nicholas Hasson, Nancy Jundi, Mikki Levi, Tim Maxwell, Bryan Park, Jim Passon, Alex Romano, Kay Sievert, Brian Gee
Location Management Timmy Chinn, Katrin Chong, Dustin Goldstein, Matt Goldstein, Linda Graham, Karen Greenlee, Art Rivers, Angela Tillson, Jim Triplett, KiKi Yoshimoto
Music Department Dondi Bastone, Richard Ford, Robert Kraft, Eugene Kulikov, Rebecca Morellato, Thomas Cavanaugh
Script and Continuity Department Rebecca Robertson
Transportation Department Richard Groder, Kelly Loo, Anna Reed, John Reed, Kenneth Smith, Gary Woods
Additional Crew Co-Co Aiello-Younger, Joseph Aikala, Laurie Arakaki, Cameron Arguelles, Deidre Backs, Kelly Barnes, John Brady, Debra Burgess, Sean G. Burke, Nathan Carlson, Gregory S. Carr, Shawna Carver, Kimberly Choi, Sanoe Damon, Jeff Dash, Rebecca Davis, Vincent Desrosiers-Nault, Evan Endicott, Dinesh Fernando, Tal Fiala, Todd Fink, Jeff Fishman, Max Garcia, Liz Georgoff, Claudia Gray, Jessica Caress Hamamoto, Nancy Honeycutt, Jeremy Johnson, Jeremy Johnson, Lee MacNeil Johnson, Leah Kaina, Xanadu Kekuewa, Mara Kerum, Tyler Kueffner, Ryan Lam, Dana Ledoux Miller, Lisa Lee Mitchell, Dagny Looper, Victor Lozano, Troy Manandic, Brad Dirk Martin, Larissa Martinez, Angel McConnell, Courtney McCrory, Anna Musso, Nicole Nakamoto, Karen Neasi, Anthony M. Ocasio III, Nicole Oudinot, Nick Ower, Pablo Paz, Mark Petritz, Stockton David Porter, Darren Rodriguez, Andy Rydzewski, Jason Skweres, Ashley C. Smith, Cameron Spencer, Gary Stone, Rachel Streater, Bernadette Tanchauco, Amber Joy Tomasello, Kimberly Williams, Robert Wong, Susan Wyshynski, Tyler Atkinson, Josh Land, Dana Taschner
Thanks Tommy Ardolino, Gavan Daws, Andy Lautenbach, Carri Morgan, John Morgan, Randall Roth, Julia Porter Steele
Genres Comedy, Drama
Companies Searchlight Pictures, Ad Hominem Enterprises, Dune Entertainment
Countries USA
Languages English
ContentRating R
ImDbRating 7.3
ImDbRatingVotes 243524
MetacriticRating 84
Keywords father daughter relationship,boating accident,hawaii,cheating wife,dying mother