Review: The Descendants (2011).

The Descendants (2011). Directed by Alexander Payne, Written by Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, Nat Faxon.

[George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Matthew Lillard].

How have I not spoken about this movie yet?? I stumbled upon this one when I was around age sixteen, after the hype of the Fault in our Stars was still on its way to calming down, and the idea of George Clooney in slip slops was too much to bear missing out on.

I get a really warm feeling when I think of the Descendants- I think the filmmakers did a more than worthy job of creating a little world, settled neatly and peacefully in the suburbs of Hawaii. Focused on the importance of love, and family. Up until this point, most of the George Clooney movies I had seen, were more of his actions/epics, so it was extremely endearing to see him embracing the role of a middle-aged father, Matt King. Clooney has a brilliant sense of timing; knowing when to add and subtract humour, compressed rage, and an overwhelming sense of dread.

Matt King is father to two young girls, Shailene Woodley being his oldest daughter, Alex, a rowdy, misunderstood teenager, in the wake of her rebellion. Scottie, played by Amara Miller, is the youngest daughter, currently struggling through middle school. Scottie serves as the balance to Alex; a youthful version of naivety and lack of understanding of the world. She is further from the drama, unable to fully comprehend the severity of the tragedy happening around her, only being able to act off of both instincts, and the reactions of her family members. She is already a misunderstood child, showing signs of struggling with social activities and friendships.

Shailene Woodley is excellent. Bloody brilliant. Prior to the film’s start, her character is known to have a close relationship with her mother, one that has suddenly crumbled and morphed into a serious matter. She embodies the confusion and impulsivity of the teen years, acting and saying without thinking, making decisions that don’t necessarily align with the morals of her parents, or herself. Alex is challenged with the consequences of knowledge- holding onto a secret that she just wants to speak of aloud but needing to consider the other relationships her family had with her mother. Is it fair to taint the memory of a loved one? Alex is justified in her anger, but the love she has for Scottie causes Alex to challenge her perspective, and figure out healthier ways to work through her own grief.

We meet Matt at the cusp of a new low. He is suddenly being thrust into the forefront of true parenting, suddenly swallowed by the responsibility of being a single dad to his daughters- something we can see easily puts him out of his comfort zone- taking on the primary parent role requires him to commit his entirety to their wellbeing, to understanding why they think and behave the way they do- how the hell to help them through this crisis, let alone guide them through life.

I love to see the balance between the betrayal and heartbreak he is being consumed by, as well as the lengths one will go to in order to protect and respect the feelings of those they love. His feelings, like Alex, though relevant to the situation, are misplaced as the crisis increases- the deep anger that is bubbling in his chest has to be set aside for the sake of his family. He works hard to put on a strong front- to maintain his title as father and caregiver- desperately unsure of how to be there for his daughters- what it means to be a good parent.

This movie shows the difficulty in handling everything life provides, how being so emotionally confused, and conflicted has no place in everyday living, coming in second every time we need to step forward, and physically make decisions that may be hard for us, but will benefit the ones we love.

What is family? Does it stop at the title? Is this merely a name used to claim importance among others. Do family ties stay knotted no matter the cost? Or is family a farce of unity that secretly runs on the fumes of selfishness and neediness? Family can come out of the woodwork when a crisis occurs, and suddenly it appears as if everyone has unclear intentions- intentions that are solely focused on protecting their own peace and comfort. Individual members may work in opposition, benefitting from terrible circumstances with hardly any consideration for the feelings of those they think of as blood. Whilst family preaches unity, we know that reality disrupts, and even challenges this.

Do we need to comply just because it’s family? Do we deserve this privilege just because it’s family? True family is the closeness you create with people who understand you. Whether it be your nuclear family, your friends, your partners, and even your pets. The real concept of family is a unity of support, and love compiled of many people; they need not be from your family tree.

Matt King represents the way many of us feel within the family dynamic, so many questions, so few answers- everyone looking toward him for the solution, and he feels the weight of doing what he feels right, even at the expense of his family misunderstanding, and expressing shock and disappointment. He is challenged to do what’s right- not for his extended blood, but for the two girls who still need their dad’s support and love now more than ever.

This is also a statement on inheritance wealth; a perfect macrocosm for trying to please everyone. Which you cannot. And the question becomes, why? Why do I need to make decisions I was never there for? Why is my responsibility responsible for the satisfaction of my family’s needs? When the question goes from keeping land, to the confusion of whether it should be a decision they are actually worthy of making. Matt was given the responsibility for actions his forefathers made, successfully mirroring the passed-down traditions, ideals, and implied rules of good parenthood and family.

The mother in this story is the perfect martyr, frozen in limbo, constantly bringing this family back to one another. As long as the problems with her remain unresolved, there will always be an unsettlement between Matt and his daughters- particularly Alex. He needs to balance his heartbreak, with the role of being present, juggling the thoughts in his head, with the next best step to take. Having to find a space for his anger, without being able to direct it at his wife, leaves him a complete mess, the only chance he has at moving forward is through healing. But he can’t heal all on his own, they need to heal individually within their little family unit- showing one another gentleness, and care. Turning conversation into action, changing your perspective, and not going through it alone!

A good parent does not exist. There are no good people or bad for that matter. I believe that we are both, and it is most important who we wake up and choose to be each day. In this way, Matt has to let go of the type of father he needs to be, dispelling disappointment when he doesn’t live up to the unlivable bar that has been set. The mother, in that sense, is not a bad person because of mistakes made, she is a good parent, and she has good traits. Putting on the pressure of unreachable expectations on people is guaranteed to fail.

The Descendants maintains a simple storyline, allowing for the characters to bounce- or bash- off of each other, creating a tangled string of tension and turmoil. So, where does grief fit into all of this? There is no designated space to sit and mourn; it has to occur during the swell of everyday living. Grief comes and goes like the wind; suddenly sweeping you off of your feet, only to disappear and leave you with static hair. One cannot control grief, or truly work through it- the challenge becomes about making space for it in your life; to know that you may never fully move on, you may always hurt just as much as the first time, but it’s a part of life- an integral part- and building a loving support system may make it a little bit easier.

This movie carries quiet energy, using the crashing of waves as a sort-of score, subtly reminding us that grief, sorrow, and even rage, flow back and forth, thrashing with force against settled sand, lifting and swirling it off of the floor, moments before retreating, leaving everything in disarray. It comes and goes, over and over, tides switching without you even noticing. A movie simply about showing up, showing love, and showing you care.

9/10.

“I’m the backup parent.”

IMDB

Letterboxd