I have a lot of respect and admiration for Alexander Payne. That’s probably why it has taken me so long to write about The Descendants.
After I saw the film last month, I immediately wanted to watch Election and Sideways again. Actually, I did watch Citizen Ruth (which I had never seen) then opened a bottle of pinot noir and watched Sideways (the third time I have seen it). I’ve seen Election many times for some of my research projects, so I know it holds up, and I was pleased to learn that Sideways holds up over time for me, too.
I like other work of Payne’s, like About Schmidt, but it’s really Election and Sideways that are the high watermarks for me of his work.
The Descendants is fine. There are moments that feel emotionally authentic, and it’s fun to see George Clooney as a bit of a milquetoast with family events related to his wife’s accident and an upcoming real estate deal. High points of the film often swirl around interactions with his older daughter, played by Shailene Woodley, who is very good.
In the end, this is a well-made film, I enjoyed watching it, but The Descendants has not touched me in any lasting, indelible way. I wanted it to be more to me than it is.
I’m not sure what this means, but seeing The Descendants does make me less interested than before in visiting Hawaii. Go figure…
