A good script, a wonderful ensemble cast headed by a major star, and a setting in Hawaii all combine to make “The Descendants” one of the best movies of 2011. George Clooney stars as attorney Matt King, a man with a lot on his plate. His wife is in a coma as the result of a boating accident, his two teenage daughters need attention, and he is in charge of a large trust fund, shared with numerous cousins, that must dispose of prime real estate on Kauai inherited from their royal Hawaiian ancestors.
Clooney is at the top of his game here; viewers almost forget that he is George Clooney. Producer-director Alexander Payne (“About Schmidt” 2002) established outstanding production values in the film. He co-wrote the excellent screenplay with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, adapted from the 2007 novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings.
Co-stars include Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Robert Forster, Mary Birdsong, Laird Hamilton, and Michael Ontkean. It was nominated for five Oscars, winning one for the screenplay. The others were for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Actor for Clooney. “The Descendants” was successful in theatrical release for Ad Hominem Enterprises and Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The Descendants (2011)
cinema
My Review
A good script, a wonderful ensemble cast headed by a major star, and a setting in Hawaii all combine to make “The Descendants” one of the best movies of 2011. George Clooney stars as attorney Matt King, a man with a lot on his plate. His wife is in a coma as the result of a boating accident, his two teenage daughters need attention, and he is in charge of a large trust fund, shared with numerous cousins, that must dispose of prime real estate on Kauai inherited from their royal Hawaiian ancestors.
Clooney is at the top of his game here; viewers almost forget that he is George Clooney. Producer-director Alexander Payne (“About Schmidt” 2002) established outstanding production values in the film. He co-wrote the excellent screenplay with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, adapted from the 2007 novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings.
Co-stars include Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Robert Forster, Mary Birdsong, Laird Hamilton, and Michael Ontkean. It was nominated for five Oscars, winning one for the screenplay. The others were for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Actor for Clooney. “The Descendants” was successful in theatrical release for Ad Hominem Enterprises and Fox Searchlight Pictures.