Matthew King (George Clooney), a lawyer, husband, father, and trustee of an incredible amount of family owned property in Kauai, Hawaii, is forced to take a look at his life, his choices, and his two daughters when his wife is unexpectedly injured in a boating accident. As she lay in a coma in the hospital, Matt learns from his 17-year-old daughter (Shailene Woodley) that his wife was seeing another man and planned to leave Matt for him. While figuring out how to take care of his 10-year-old daughter (Amara Miller), he develops a deeper bond with his older daughter as they track down the man his wife was dating.
There is a lot more that could potentially be added to that synopsis, but that is pretty much the gist of it. I can tell you that my first reaction was “I want to move to Hawaii” which is ironic because the film opens with Clooney’s character describing how Hawaii is just like any other inland state with disease, poverty, and the like. His final line in that monologue is, “Paradise? Paradise can go fuck itself.” It’s not so much a paradise I am after; it is the weather.
My reaction to the movie itself was nothing but positive. Clooney is his amazing self. He is the same stoic, uptight, emotionally unavailable character we see him play all the time, but it suits him. He is just one of those people who I enjoy the typecasting with, probably because he is such a good actor and gives knockout performances every time. I guess at this point it could be due to all the practice, or possibly the fact that he is emotionally unavailable in real life?
The plot itself is clever. As I said, there is a lot more to it than I mentioned, but I do not want to ruin it for those who have not seen it. In the beginning, we learn Matt and his wife do not have the best relationship, especially in terms of communication. By the end of the film, I realized I saw love in Matt’s eyes for his wife only once. I sat in the theater thinking it was his wife who did not love him, but now I question whether it was mutual and he just did not realize it. She did him a favor by cheating; he was then forced to come to terms with his own feelings.
It also helped him get closer with his eldest daughter, Alex. She revealed the affair to him after he questioned her as to why she was so mad at her mom. She was mad because her mom was having the affair, which told me how much she did appreciate and love her dad. Matt does not treat Alex as a child. From the beginning, he tells her what is going on with her mom and how he needs her help. And she tells him how she is willing to help and what her conditions are. Their candor with one another opens the door to a relationship not often portrayed between father and daughter. Though Matt is supposed to be the protector, Alex is basically guiding her dad through the process and helping him learn how to take care of himself. She helps him discover qualities he already had, but had somehow been misplaced. Their relationship and interactions were one of my favorite things about the film.
I also enjoyed Sid (Nick Krause), Alex’s friend whom she insists accompany them everywhere they go. We never quite know the relationship status he has with Alex, but it is not important. His importance is uncovered one night when Matt sits with him during another sleepless night. It is so subtle and it touched me deeply. I like the idea of his character. Though he portrays a brain-dead surfer type, the film would be lacking without his presence and generally silent support during the ordeal.
I am quickly becoming a Clooney fan. I used to watch ER years back, but had not seen Clooney until I watch Up In The Air a couple of years ago. I enjoyed him in that and enjoyed him even more in The Descendants. I recommend this film to everybody. One person who saw this film did advise me he felt it was more of a “Chick Flick.” I disagree, but then again I am a “chick” so my radar could be off. Despite the deep topics, I left the film feeling hopeful, feeling happy, and wanting to feel Hawaii.
No Matter Where Life Takes Me 