Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

 

Movie Monday - The Descendants

 

In The Descendants, there's a worthwhile movie struggling to appear; it doesn't.

 

Based on a book of the same name, it's a movie set in Hawaii. Attorney Matt King, played by George Clooney, is the sole trustee of a vast parcel of family land passed on from his Hawaiian princess ancestor. (While there are a few natives in the film, the family and cast are white.) The trust has received a very good offer to buy the land from an Hawaiian and, while Matt lives on his legal income, the family cousins sorely need the money. Also, by law, in 7 years the trust must be dissolved, so this may be the best offer they'll get. So that's one theme: Clooney must decide to sell this pristine land for development.

 

However, that's just the backdrop. As the movie opens, King's free-wheeling life-styled wife is terminally injured in a boating accident (she shouldn't have been steering) and her living will is explicit that the "plug must be pulled."

 

But, still wait; there's more. I'm not giving anything away since within 20 minutes we learn how fucked up Matt's family really is. Not only is Mrs. Matt reckless by steering the boat, she has a secret lover.

 

And then there are Matt's daughters, teen Alex and 10-year old Scottie. I just love it when a 10 year old gives adults the finger or makes obscene crank calls. But Matt does say that since he was super busy, mom raised the girls. Great job, mom.

Comatose wife, pending land sale, uber-bratty daughters, a cuckolded husband. You've got all the ingredients for Shakespeare or soap opera here. Unfortunately, as I watched this movie, I thought about Revenge of the Nerds and Airplane. Not good.

Where did this movie go wrong? First, I think it unfortunately stayed true to the book. For example, there is the annoying character of Sid who is Alex's casual boyfriend and drug supplier and who pops up and stays with the family throughout the movie, even keeping vigil at the hospital. There's really no connection between him and Alex but by the middle of the film, Matt is coming to Sid for advice. What? As played, this kid is a dip-shit and a drag on the movie. I can't believe his origins weren't in the book since no screenwriter could get that character green-lit. Second, from the explanatory voice-overs by Matt, I'm going to assume the book is narrative, not dialogue driven. Director, Alexander Payne, translates this into deep stares for the movie. For crying out loud! Let Matt talk in meaningful sentences. He doesn't have to say much (watch Clooney in Michael Clayton to see what I mean) but he has to talk. From voice-overs, we do learn early that when Matt's wife awakens, he plans to make it all up to her but once the other shoe drops, (the lover), we learn nothing about his feelings.

Talk about a triple whammy: wife comatose. land must be sold, wife unfaithful. And where does the movie go with this? OK, I'm not expecting Matt to disclaim like Richard III: Now is the winter of our discontent. But what does Matt do when DD, Alex, gives him this verbal sucker punch regarding the lover: he decides to track down the lover so he can say good-bye to the wife!!

Matt has got to be one cool character. Bam! His world turns upside down and he decides some detective work is the best course of action.

 

And that's how it goes. It's rather like watching an alternative universe. There is a lot of rich material here but nothing is handled with any depth. Sometimes, not even with a touch of common sense for even a rather touching scene of confrontation towards the end (which I won't give away) that could have been played quietly to show how emotionally battered people must reconcile, is allowed to go over the top. (This is the place where I remembered the scene in Airplane when the passengers lined up to "help" a woman with hysterics. I'll let you figure out the Revenge of the Nerds connection.)

I can forgive John Carter, Sherlock Holmes, the CGI flick, because they are pure entertainment. You go in to them for popcorn and escape. But The Descendants has some very good actors and some excellent thematic issues. Everyone, however, skims across the surface. A multifaceted tale is being told but the message is: Hey! It's just a story. Like that opening speed boat, we're just skimming the surface. What a disappointment.

See you next week.