The Descendants

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 by Alexander Payne
Produced by
Screenplay by
Based on The Descendants
by Kaui Hart Hemmings
Starring
Cinematography Phedon Papamichael
Edited by Kevin Tent
Production
company
Ad Hominem Enterprises
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release date
  • September 10, 2011 (2011-09-10) (TIFF)
  • November 18, 2011 (2011-11-18) (United States[1])
Running time
 115 minutes[2]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $20 million[3]
Box office $177.2 million[4]

The Descendants is a 2011 American 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, 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, and two Golden Globe Awards for 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 pristine acres on Kauai. 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 who seeks attention by bullying other children, and 17-year-old Alex 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 she caught Elizabeth having an affair before 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, 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, 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 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 and that he loves his wife Julie and their children, then apologizes to Matt for the pain he caused.

When Elizabeth is disconnected from life support, her father Scott 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. 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 kisses her goodbye, followed by Alex and Scottie, and later, they scatter Elizabeth's ashes in the ocean off Waikiki. Later, the three are at home sitting together sharing ice cream and watching television, all wrapped in the Hawaiian quilt Elizabeth had been lying in.

Cast

Production

View of the beach used in the film

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.[4]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, The Descendants received a rating of 89%, based on 249 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Funny, moving, and beautifully acted, The Descendants captures the unpredictable messiness of life with eloquence and uncommon grace."[14] Metacritic gives the film a score of 84 out of 100 based on 43 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[15]

Top ten lists

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

Critic Publication Rank
Todd McCarthyThe Hollywood Reporter1st[16]
Betsy SharkeyLos Angeles Times1st[16]
Don KayeMSN Movies1st[16]
Lou LumenickNew York Post1st[16]
Stephen HoldenThe New York Times1st[16]
Marshall FineHollywood & Fine1st[16]
Joe NeumaierDaily News2nd[16]
Ann HornadayThe Washington Post2nd[17]
Peter TraversRolling Stone3rd[18]
Corben CarpenterClear Lake3rd[16]
Michael PhillipsChicago Tribune4th[16]
Anne ThompsonIndieWire4th[16]
Peter RainerThe Christian Science Monitor5th[16]
Lisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment Weekly6th[16]
Sean AxmakerMSN Movies6th[16]
David DenbyThe New Yorker7th[16]
Peter HartlaubSan Francisco Chronicle7th[16]
Jaime N. ChristleySlant Magazine7th[16]
Peter ParasE! Online7th[19]
Richard T. JamesonMSN Movies9th[16]
N/AMTV9th[16]
Jack GregsonScreenGeeks UK9th[16]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
Awards GroupCategoryRecipientsResult
84th Academy Awards[20] Best Picture Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor Nominated
Best Director Alexander Payne Nominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role George Clooney Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash Won
Best Editing Kevin Tent Nominated
Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences Awards[21] Best Foreign Film Alexander Payne, Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor Nominated
American Film Institute[22] Movies of the Year Won
Art Directors Guild[23] Contemporary Film Jane Anne Stewart (Production Design) Nominated
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts[24] 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[25] 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[26] Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Big Budget Drama Feature John Jackson, John McAlary Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association[27][28] 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[29] 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[30] 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[31] Best Film Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Breakthrough Performance Shailene Woodley Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle[32] Best Picture Won
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash Won
Golden Globe Awards[33]Best Picture – Drama–Won
Best DirectorAlexander PayneNominated
Best Actor – DramaGeorge ClooneyWon
Best Supporting ActressShailene WoodleyNominated
Best ScreenplayAlexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim RashNominated
Grammy Awards[34] Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards[35]Best Film–Nominated
Best DirectorAlexander PayneNominated
Best Supporting FemaleShailene WoodleyWon
Best ScreenplayAlexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim RashWon
Los Angeles Film Critics Association[36] Best Film Won
Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash Nominated
MTV Movie Awards[37] Best Breakthrough Performance Shailene Woodley Won
National Board of Review[38]Top 10 Films–Won
Best ActorGeorge ClooneyWon
Best Supporting ActressShailene WoodleyWon
Best Adapted ScreenplayAlexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim RashWon
New York Film Critics Online[39] Best Screenplay Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash Won
Online Film Critics Society[40] Best Picture Nominated
Best Actor George Clooney Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Shailene Woodley Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival[41] Chairman's Award George Clooney (Also for The Ides of March) Won
Phoenix Film Critics Society[42] 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[43] Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards[44]Best EnsembleBeau Bridges, George Clooney, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Shailene WoodleyNominated
Best ActorGeorge ClooneyNominated
Satellite Awards[45]Best Film – DramaWon
Best ActorGeorge ClooneyNominated
Best Supporting ActressJudy GreerNominated
Best DirectorAlexander PayneNominated
Best Adapted ScreenplayAlexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim RashWon
Best EditingNominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association[46] 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. 1 2 3 Abrams, Rachel (September 7, 2011). "'Descendants' gets earlier bow: Clooney starrer beats Thanksgiving glut with Nov. 18 rollout". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  2. ↑ "The Descendants (15)". British Board of Film Classification. September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Box office: The Descendants (2011)". IMDb. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "The Descendants". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  5. ↑ Bailey, Cameron. "Special Presentation: 'The Descendants': Alexander Payne". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  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.
  7. 1 2 "The Descendants: Production Notes" (PDF). Fox Searchlight Pictures. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 3, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  8. ↑ Cooper, Jeanne (November 17, 2011). "'The Descendants' author highlights Hawaii's less-exotic side". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  9. ↑ Fischbach, Bob (July 18, 2010). "Payne busy editing Hawaii family drama". Omaha World Herald. Archived from the original on November 27, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  10. ↑ Lambert, Christine (2011). "The Descendant premiere photos – 36th Toronto International Film Festival". DigitalHit. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  11. ↑ The Deadline Team (July 28, 2011). "Release Date Moves: Searchlight's 'The Descendants', CBS Films' 'The Woman In Black'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  12. ↑ blogger (December 22, 2010). "The Descendants". Fox Searchlight Pictures. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  13. ↑ filmmusicreporter (October 9, 2011). "'The Descendants' Soundtrack Announced". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  14. ↑ "The Descendants (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  15. ↑ "The Descendants Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Dietz, Jason (December 8, 2011). "2011 Film Critic Top Ten Lists (Updated Jan. 11)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  17. ↑ Hornaday, Ann (December 10, 2011). "Ann Hornaday's best films of 2011". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  18. ↑ Travers, Peter (December 8, 2011). "10 Best Movies of 2011: The Descendants". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  19. ↑ Paras, Peter (December 16, 2011). "Top 10 Movies of 2011". E! Online. E! Entertainment Television. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Nominees for the 84th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
  21. ↑ "PREMIO SUR - 2012 - Ganadores" (in Spanish). Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences Awards. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012.
  22. ↑ Makinen, Julie (December 11, 2011). "'Bridesmaids,' 'Tree of Life,' 'Hugo' in AFI's top 10 films of 2011". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  23. ↑ Kilday, Gregg (January 3, 2012). "Art Directors Nominate Movies as Different as 'Harry Potter' and 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Inaugural Samsung AACTA Awards: Winners & Nominations" (PDF). Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. January 31, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 23, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  25. ↑ Pond, Steve (December 11, 2011). "Martin Scorsese Named Best Director by Boston Film Critics". TheWrap. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  26. ↑ THR Staff (August 20, 2012). "Casting Society of America Announces Artios Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  27. ↑ "Tree of Life Leads CFCA Nominations with 7; Descendants, Drive Follow with 6". Chicago Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  28. ↑ "CFCA Names Tree of Life Best Picture". Chicago Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  29. ↑ Website Administrator (December 13, 2011). "17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards (2012)". Critics' Choice Awards. Broadcast Film Critics Association. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  30. ↑ Cangialosi, Jason (January 11, 2012). "Denver Film Critics Society Announces 2012 Award Winners". Yahoo! Movies. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  31. ↑ "The 2011 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards". Detroit Film Critics Society. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  32. ↑ "Florida Film Critics swoon for 'The Descendants'". The Miami Herald. Miami Herald Media. December 19, 2011. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  33. ↑ Germain, David (December 15, 2011). "The Artist Leads 2011 Golden Globe Nominations With Six Bids". Time. Associated Press. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  34. ↑ Brooks, Brian (December 6, 2012). "'The Hunger Games' And 'The Muppets' Top Grammy Awards Movie Nominees". Movieline. PMC. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  35. ↑ Knegt, Peter; Greene, Steve (November 8, 2011). ""Take Shelter" and "The Artist" Lead Spirit Award Nominations". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  36. ↑ "37th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  37. ↑ Prinzivalli, Fallon (June 3, 2012). "Shailene Woodley Takes Breakthrough Performance At MTV Movie Awards". MTV News. MTV. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  38. ↑ Coyle, Jake (December 1, 2011). "Scorsese's 'Hugo' Named Best Film By NBR Awards – From the Wires". Salon. Salon Media Group. Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  39. ↑ Pond, Steve (December 11, 2011). "'The Artist' Wins Another: NY Film Critics Online". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  40. ↑ Tapley, Kristopher (December 26, 2011). "'Tree of Life' leads with 7 nods from Online Film Critics Society". HitFix. Uproxx. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  41. ↑ Pond, Steve (November 18, 2012). "Clooney gets Palm Springs film festival Chairman's award". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  42. ↑ "Phoenix Film Critics Society 2011 Award Nominations". Phoenix Film Critics Society. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  43. ↑ Mullens, Kelly; Geldmacher, Brittany (January 3, 2012). "PGA ANNOUNCES THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURE AND LONG-FORM TELEVISION NOMINATIONS FOR 2012 PGA AWARDS". Producers Guild of America. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  44. ↑ Sheehan, Paul (December 14, 2011). "'The Help' leads with four SAG Awards nominations". Gold Derby. Penske Business Media. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  45. ↑ "2011 Winners". International Press Academy. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  46. ↑ Gordon, Tim (December 5, 2011). "The 2011 WAFCA Awards". Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.