Movie · 2011 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 55m · R · English
Curator score: 6.6/10 (394.7K ratings)
The South Pacific ain't that terrific.
Overview
With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront a young real estate broker, who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.6/10
IMDb: 7.3/10
Letterboxd: 3.61/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Metacritic: 84
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Alexander Payne
Production
Dune Entertainment, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Ad Hominem Enterprises
Cast
George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Patricia Hastie, Grace A. Cruz, Kim Gennaula, Karen Kuioka Hironaga, Carmen Kaichi, Kaui Hart Hemmings, Beau Bridges, Matt Corboy, Matt Esecson, Michael Ontkean, Stanton Johnston, Jon McManus, Hugh Foster, Tiare R. Finney, Tom McTigue, Milt Kogan
Curator Review
Verdict
A quietly affecting family drama that balances grief, resentment, and dry humor with real emotional honesty. It’s especially strong if you like character-driven stories that feel lived-in rather than melodramatic.
Best for
fans of understated dramas
viewers who like dysfunctional family stories
people who appreciate bittersweet humor
audiences drawn to Hawaii as a real setting rather than a postcard
Skip if
you want a plot-heavy thriller
you dislike voiceover narration
you prefer heightened emotion over naturalism
you’re looking for a purely uplifting watch
Overview
The Descendants is one of Alexander Payne’s most humane films, built on small irritations, awkward conversations, and the slow recognition that grief rarely arrives in neat stages. George Clooney plays against his usual polish with a wounded, distracted warmth that gives the movie its emotional center, while the daughters feel convincingly messy and specific rather than written as symbolic obstacles.
Worth noting
What makes the film linger is its tonal balance. It can be funny in a deadpan, almost throwaway way, then turn around and hit with a genuine ache. The Hawaiian setting is beautifully used too, not as fantasy but as a place with class tension, family history, and everyday life running underneath the scenery.
Bottom line
It’s not a showy movie, and that’s part of its strength. The ending lands because the film has spent so much time observing how people actually behave when they are hurt, confused, and still responsible for one another. It’s tender without being sentimental, and sad without feeling punishing.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Syaoran (4.5★) · 1451 likes
I live for these kind of films that just end on a perfect normal note. Nothing fancy. So simple and yet relatable. Much like the whole movie. It doesn't really try to be over the top. Everything was so smooth. This film made me feel life. So glad I rewatch it.
Bone · 1147 likes
George Clooney: you fucked my wife!!!!
Shaggy: it wasn't me
Jake Alda Coffey (5★) · 787 likes
The way George Clooney runs in this movie makes me giggle
Jez Burrows (4.5★) · 529 likes
Me, for the first 5-10 minutes: This is sort of familiar and lightweight.
Me, for the rest of the movie: I’m not crying, there's just something in my eye. In both of my eyes. Shut up.
SilentDawn (4★) · 410 likes
80
Seems like a less appreciated Alexander Payne work, but after its initial expository first act, The Descendants finds a groove between low-key pain and goofy humor. It's a charming example of mannered moments of comedy only amplifying the subtle, organic emotional core of the fractured family unit. George Clooney offers a top-tier performance, as does Shailene Woodley. Also worth mentioning is Matthew Lillard in a one-scene knockout role, further proving his expert versatility.
2013 · Drama, Adventure · 1h 55m · R · Curator 8.5/10 (234.6K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus
Shares the same dry humor, family tension, and melancholy observation of ordinary lives.