The Descendants: on the road to the Oscars

Matt King is stuck in a rut. His wife has fallen into a coma as a result of a motor skiing accident. So many things have gone unsaid between the two of them…all Matt wants to do is make everything right and begin healing their marriage. The thought drives him in his line of work, which itself is finally paying off – Matt and other members of his family are prepping to sell off their lease on a bit of rare, uninhabited Hawaiian land that their ancestors regularly camped on and looked after with each succeeding generation. Matt’s also busy taking care of his two daughters, one a rebellious 17-year-old heavily indulging in sex and drugs, the other a brazen, yet still impressionable 10-year-old on a similar path to destruction. Soon, however, Matt learns that his wife’s will dictates that she wants to be taken off life support. Matt sets out to let family and friends know that it’s time to say goodbye.

This is “The Descendants,” and it stars George Clooney as Matt King, delivering yet another great performance in his illustrious career. The 50-year-old actor could not be better cast in this role – he’s at the perfect spot in his life to play a middle-aged man with an uncertain future ahead of him. Director Alexander Payne has a great talent for writing middle-aged or otherwise older men in his films – he also wrote and directed both “Sideways” and “About Schmidt,” two fantastic films about older men struggling in the face of transitionary periods.

Payne’s first directorial work since Sideways in 2004, the director’s unique style remains largely unchanged. “The Descendants” is an almost calming, laid-back dramedy, set to a relaxing ukulele musical score and capturing some beautiful Hawaiian landscapes in the process. It’s also notable for being almost completely driven by its characters. Payne demonstrates an increasingly rare talent of writing; even his most unlikable characters as human and with a decent side to them. It’s probably where Payne’s work shines brightest – getting us to feel a variety of feelings towards characters like Matt’s wife, who herself doesn’t move a muscle or say a word for the entirety of the film.

Payne not only injects humanity into each of these characters, but heart and emotion. Dialogue further drives the film, giving us insight into each of these characters and letting us speculate as to what they’re thinking about. We can’t help but watch intently, trying to put ourselves in each character’s shoes, trying to predict how they react and pinpoint why they do what they do; the meaning behind the action. It’s a brilliant way of engaging the viewer, and it takes a great writer/director to properly accomplish it.

Really, each and every scene in the film could be plucked out and analyzed as an independent study on a particular character. For example, early on in the film, Matt’s eldest daughter tells him his wife had been cheating on him before she’d fallen into a coma (that’s not a spoiler, don’t worry). It’s a fascinating predicament – Matt doesn’t even have the luxury of being able to confront the woman who betrayed him. And how do you handle the outpouring of support from friends and family saying, “She’s a fighter and a great person. She’ll make it,” when you know she’s not only cheated on you, but is also going to die? In a later scene, he goes through the motions anyway, venting his anger and yelling at his wife’s motionless body as if she could still hear him. It’s tragic, it’s real, and it’s human.

Some viewers won’t take to the more open structure of “The Descendants,” which, like Payne’s past work, lacks real, driving plot. It’s also a bit underdeveloped in its script, not quite reaching the heights of Payne’s past films. He seems a bit rusty from his time off – certain quirks to the dialogue make some interactions more awkward than funny.

Overall, it’s easy to looks past “The Descendants” shortcomings and enjoy it for the entertaining, heartfelt, well-crafted film it is. Something about Alexander Payne’s aesthetic really trumps any flaws this movie has, writing some of the most real, funny, and lifelike characters from any working writer. The man is truly a great, underrated filmmaker and it’s very nice to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves. “The Descendants” has been nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actor, Director, Editing and Adapted Screenplay.