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The Descendants

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The Descendants
A man looking over his shoulder at the beach behind him, two people standing in the distance by the water.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlexander Payne
Screenplay by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPhedon Papamichael
Edited byKevin Tent
Production
company
Ad Hominem Enterprises
Distributed byFox Searchlight Pictures
Release dates
  • September 10, 2011 (2011-09-10) (TIFF)
  • November 18, 2011 (2011-11-18) (United States[1])
Running time
115 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[3]
Box office$177.2 million[4]

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 novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The film stars George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard and Robert Forster, and was released by Fox Searchlight Pictures in the United States on November 18, 2011[1] after being screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.[5]

Tracing the journey of land baron Matt King who struggles with unexpected occurrences in his monotonous life, The Descendants won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as two Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture – Drama and Best Actor – Drama for Clooney.

Plot

Matthew "Matt" King (George Clooney) is a Honolulu-based attorney and the sole trustee of a family trust of 25,000 pristine acres on Kauai island. The land has great monetary value, but is also a family legacy. While Matt has always 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 (Amara Miller) who seeks attention by bullying other children, and 17-year-old Alex (Shailene Woodley) who has a history of substance abuse and 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 that Elizabeth was having an affair at the time of the accident, causing a major rift between mother and daughter.

Two close family friends tell Matt that Elizabeth was unhappy and wanted to leave him for her lover, Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard), a real estate agent. After Matt arranges for friends to bid Elizabeth goodbye, he decides Speer should also have an opportunity. He and the girls, and also Alex's slacker boyfriend Sid (Nick Krause), travel to Kauai to find Brian. While there, Matt's cousin, Hugh (Beau Bridges) mentions that Brian is brother-in-law to Don Hollitzer, the developer to whom the family wants to sell the land. Brian stands to make a small fortune from the sales commission. Matt confronts Brian and informs him Elizabeth is dying and offers him an opportunity to see her one last time. Brian declines, admitting that although Elizabeth was in love with him, it was only a fling to him; he loves his wife, Julie (Judy Greer) and their children, then apologizes to Matt for the pain he caused.

When Elizabeth is disconnected from life support, her father, Scott (Robert Forster) admonishes Matt for not being a more generous and loving husband. Choosing not to disclose the details of her affair to Scott, Matt agrees, but Sid and Alex both unexpectedly defend Matt. At the King family meeting, Matt overrules the majority of his cousins who favor selling to Hollitzer. Matt decides to keep the land and look for a different solution to the problem posed by the Rule Against Perpetuities. Shocked, Hugh tells Matt that he and the other cousins will take legal action if Matt refuses to sell, but Matt is undeterred.

After learning of Brian's affair with Elizabeth and realizing that he will not visit, Julie comes to the hospital, partly feeling that decency obliges her to. She tearfully admits to Elizabeth that she wants to hate her for "trying to destroy" her family, but that she forgives her. Matt finally comes to terms with his wife's betrayal and her impending death. He tenderly kisses her goodbye, followed by Alex and Scottie, and later, scatter Elizabeth's ashes in the ocean off Waikiki. The film concludes with the three at home sitting together sharing ice cream and watching television, all wrapped in the Hawaiian quilt Elizabeth had been lying in.

Cast

Production

The film began its on-location shoot in Hawaii on March 15, 2010.[6] Most of the film was shot in Honolulu and around Hanalei Bay.[7] 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.[7] For the scene where the King family drives up to a ridge to look over their land, the film used a 3,000-acre 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. This contradicts the scene in the movie where Matt and Scottie travel by plane to the Big Island to pick-up Alex. 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.[8]

Post-production began on June 14, and continued into February 2011.[9] It screened at the Telluride, Toronto[10] 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[11] and then November 18, 2011.[1][12]

The soundtrack uses Hawaiian music, featuring artists including Gabby Pahinui, Ray Kane, Keola Beamer, Lena Machado, Sonny Chillingworth, Jeff Peterson, Makana, and Reverend Dennis Kamakahi.[13]

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 7th 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.[14]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, The Descendants received a rating of 89%, based on 235 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1 out of 10. The consensus states, "Funny, moving, and beautifully acted, The Descendants captures the unpredictable messiness of life with eloquence and uncommon grace."[15] The film also has a score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 43 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[16]

Top ten lists

The Descendants has appeared on the following critics' top ten lists for the best films of 2011:

Critic Publication Rank
Todd McCarthy The Hollywood Reporter 1st[17]
Betsy Sharkey Los Angeles Times 1st[17]
Don Kaye MSN Movies 1st[17]
Lou Lumenick New York Post 1st[17]
Stephen Holden The New York Times 1st[17]
Marshall Fine Hollywood & Fine 1st[17]
Joe Neumaier Daily News 2nd[17]
Ann Hornaday The Washington Post 2nd[18]
Peter Travers Rolling Stone 3rd[19]
Corben Carpenter Clear Lake 3rd[17]
Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune 4th[17]
Anne Thompson indieWire 4th[17]
Peter Rainer The Christian Science Monitor 5th[17]
Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly 6th[17]
Sean Axmaker MSN Movies 6th[17]
David Denby The New Yorker 7th[17]
Peter Hartlaub San Francisco Chronicle 7th[17]
Jaime N. Christley Slant Magazine 7th[17]
Peter Paras E! Online 7th[20]
Richard T. Jameson MSN Movies 9th[17]
— MTV 9th[17]
Jack Gregson ScreenGeeks UK 9th[17]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
Awards Group Category Recipients and nominees Result
84th Academy Awards[21] Best Picture Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor Nominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role George Clooney Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Editing Kevin Tent Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash Won
Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences Awards[22] Best Foreign Film Alexander Payne, Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor Nominated
American Film Institute[23] Movies of the Year Won
Art Directors Guild[24] Contemporary Film Jane Anne Stewart (Production Design) Nominated
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts[25] Best Film – International Nominated
Best Screenplay – International Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash Nominated
Best Actor – International George Clooney Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics Award[26] Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Use of Music in a Film Nominated
65th British Academy Film Awards BAFTA Award for Best Film Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor Nominated
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role George Clooney Nominated
BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash Nominated
Casting Society of America[27] Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Big Budget Drama Feature John Jackson, John McAlary Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association[28][29] 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, and Jim Rash Nominated
Best Promising Performer Shailene Woodley Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards[30] Best Picture Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Won
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Young Actor/Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Acting Ensemble Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash Nominated
Denver Film Critics Society[31] Best Film Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Won
Best Supporting Actress Judy Greer Nominated
Best Breakout Star Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash Won
Detroit Film Critics Society[32] Best Film Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Breakthrough Performance Shailene Woodley Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle[33] Best Picture Won
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash Won
Golden Globe Awards[34] 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 and Jim Rash Nominated
Grammy Awards[35] Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards[36] Best Film – Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Supporting Female Shailene Woodley Won
Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association[37] Best Film Won
Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash Nominated
MTV Movie Awards[38] Best Breakthrough Performance Shailene Woodley Won
National Board of Review[39] Top 10 Films – Won
Best Actor George Clooney Won
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash Won
New York Film Critics Online[40] Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash Won
Online Film Critics Society[41] Best Picture Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival[42] Chairman's Award George Clooney (Also for The Ides of March) Won
Phoenix Film Critics Society[43] Best Picture Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role George Clooney Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Screenplay: Adaptation Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash Nominated
Breakthrough Performance on Camera Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role: Female Amara Miller Nominated
Producers Guild of America Award[44] Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards[45] Best Ensemble Beau Bridges, George Clooney, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Satellite Awards[46] Best Film – Drama Won
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Judy Greer Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash Won
Best Editing Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association[47] Best Actor George Clooney Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash Won
Best Film Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b c Abrams, Rachel (September 7, 2011). "'Descendants' gets earlier bow: Clooney starrer beats Thanksgiving glut with Nov. 18 rollout". Variety. Retrieved September 15, 2011. {{cite news}}: |archive-url= is malformed: liveweb (help)
  2. ^ "The Descendants (15)". British Board of Film Classification. September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  3. ^ "Box office business for The Descendants". IMDB. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  4. ^ "The Descendants (2011)". Box Office Mojo. IMDB. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  5. ^ Bailey, Cameron. "Special Presentation: 'The Descendants': Alexander Payne". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved September 15, 2011. {{cite web}}: |archive-url= is malformed: liveweb (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Guerrasio, Jason (March 15, 2010). "Alexander Payne's 'The Descendants' Begins Shooting". Filmmaker. Archived from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b Fox Searchlight Pictures, Production Notes, The Descendants.
  8. ^ Cooper, Jeanne (November 17, 2011). "'The Descendants' author highlights Hawaii's less-exotic side". Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  9. ^ Fischbach, Bob (July 18, 2010). "Payne busy editing Hawaii family drama". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved October 29, 2010.[dead link]
  10. ^ Lambert, Christine (2011). "The Descendant premiere photos – 36th Toronto International Film Festival". DigitalHit.com. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  11. ^ "Release Date Moves: Searchlight's 'The Descendants', CBS Films' 'The Woman In Black'". Deadline.com. July 28, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011. {{cite news}}: |archive-url= is malformed: liveweb (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "The Descendants". Fox Searchlight Pictures. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "'The Descendants' Soundtrack Announced". FilmMusicReporter.com. October 9, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  14. ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=descendents.htm
  15. ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_descendants_2011/
  16. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-descendants
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Dietz, Jason (December 8, 2011). "2011 Film Critic Top Ten Lists (Updated Dec. 22)". Metacritic. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  18. ^ Hornaday, Ann (December 10, 2011). "ann-hornadays-best-films-of-2011". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  19. ^ Travers, Peter (December 8, 2011). "10 Best Movies of 2011: The Descendendants". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  20. ^ Paras, Peter (December 16, 2011). "Top 10 Movies of 2011". E! Online. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  21. ^ "Nominees for the 84th Academy Awards". Retrieved January 27, 2012.
  22. ^ "Ganadores de la edición 2012 del Premio Sur" (in Spanish). Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences Awards.
  23. ^ "'Bridesmaids,' 'Tree of Life,' 'Hugo' in AFI's top 10 films of 2011". Los Angeles Times. December 11, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  24. ^ Kilday, Gregg (January 3, 2012). "Art Directors Nominate Movies as Different as 'Harry Potter' and 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  25. ^ "AACTA Awards winners and nominees" (PDF). Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). January 31, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  26. ^ Pond, Steve (December 11, 2011). "Martin Scorsese Named Best Director by Boston Film Critics". The Wrap. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  27. ^ "Casting Society of America Announces Artios Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. August 20, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  28. ^ "Tree of Life Leads CFCA Nominations with 7; Descendants, Drive Follow with 6". Chicago Film Critics Association. 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  29. ^ "CFCA Names Tree of Life Best Picture". Chicago Film Critics Association. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  30. ^ "17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards (2012)". Critics' Choice Awards. December 13, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  31. ^ "Denver Film Critics Society Announces 2012 Award Winners". Yahoo! Movies. January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  32. ^ "The 2011 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards". Detroitfilmcritics.com. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  33. ^ "Florida Film Critics swoon for 'The Descendants'". The Miami Herald. December 19, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  34. ^ David Germain (December 15, 2011). "The Artist Leads 2011 Golden Globe Nominations With Six Bids". Time. Associated Press. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  35. ^ Brooks, Brian (December 6, 2012). "'The Hunger Games' And 'The Muppets' Top Grammy Awards Movie Nominees". Movieline. PMC. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  36. ^ ""Take Shelter" and "The Artist" Lead Spirit Award Nominations | Filmmakers, Film Industry, Film Festivals, Awards & Movie Reviews". indieWIRE. November 8, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  37. ^ "LAFCA". LAFCA. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  38. ^ Prinzivalli, Fallon (June 3, 2012). "Shailene Woodley Takes Breakthrough Performance At MTV Movie Awards". MTV. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  39. ^ Nessman, Ravi (December 1, 2011). "Scorsese's 'Hugo' Named Best Film By NBR Awards – From the Wires". Salon.com. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  40. ^ Pond, Steve (December 11, 2011). "'The Artist' Wins Another: NY Film Critics Online". Reuters. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  41. ^ Tapley, Kristopher (December 26, 2011). "'Tree of Life' leads with 7 nods from Online Film Critics Society". HitFix. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  42. ^ Pond, Steve (November 18, 2012). "Clooney gets Palm Springs film festival Chairman's award". Reuters. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  43. ^ "2011 Award Nominations". Phoenix Film Critics Society. December 27, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  44. ^ "PGA ANNOUNCES THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURE AND LONG-FORM TELEVISION NOMINATIONS FOR 2012 PGA AWARDS". producersguild.org. January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
  45. ^ "'The Help' leads with four SAG Awards nominations". Goldderby.com. December 14, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  46. ^ "2011 Winners | International Press Academy". Pressacademy.com. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  47. ^ "2011 WAFCA Awards – The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA)". Dcfilmcritics.com. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
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