The Descendants (2011)

The Descendants (2011)
Native islander Matt King (George Clooney) lives with his family in Hawaii. Their world shatters when a tragic accident leaves his wife in a coma. Not only must Matt struggle with the stipulation in his wife's will that she be allowed to die with dignity, but he also faces pressure from relatives to sell their family's enormous land trust. Angry and terrified at the same time, Matt tries to be a good father to his young daughters, as they too try to cope with their mother's possible death.
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Release Date: November 16th, 2011

DVD Release Date: March 13th, 2012

R |1 hr 55 min

Plot Summary

Native islander Matt King (George Clooney) lives with his family in Hawaii. Their world shatters when a tragic accident leaves his wife in a coma. Not only must Matt struggle with the stipulation in his wife's will that she be allowed to die with dignity, but he also faces pressure from relatives to sell their family's enormous land trust. Angry and terrified at the same time, Matt tries to be a good father to his young daughters, as they too try to cope with their mother's possible death.

Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Patricia Hastie, Beau Bridges, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer

Director: Alexander Payne

Genres: Comedy drama

Production Co: Little Blair, Dune, Ad Hominem Enterprises, Ingenious Film Partners

Distributors: Fox Searchlight

Keywords: Daughter, Wife, 2010s, Death, Witty, Emotional, Transformation, Father, Love, Growing up, Touching

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Ratings & Reviews

100
Todd McCarthyThe Hollywood Reporter
After a five-year wait since "Sideways," Alexander Payne has made his best film yet with The Descendants. Ostensibly a study of loss and coping with a tragic situation, this wonderfully nuanced look at a father and two daughters dealing with the imminent death of his wife and their mother turns the miraculous trick of possibly being even funnier than it is moving. show more
55
Stephanie ZacharekMovieline
The Descendants is an ultra-polished picture in which every emotion we're supposed to feel has been cued up well in advance. There's nothing surprising or affecting about it. Not even Clooney, who works wonders with the occasional piece of dialogue, can save it. show more
100
Joe MorgensternWall Street Journal
Rarely has a contemporary movie taken in so much life and revealed it with such depth of feeling. show more