This low-key feature, set in Hawaii, is a fairly rich character study.  George Clooney stars as a businessman whose wife has had a boating accident and lies in a coma. His young daughters are too much for him to handle by himself, and a major deal is about to be finalized, so his life is full.  Then he receives news of something that changes everything.

Alexander Payne’s movie is distressingly contrived; too much is suddenly happening to be fully convincing (even though life itself often works this way, this still seems artificial).  However, Clooney and his daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) are excellent, not only covering the script’s shortcomings but creating deeply affecting characters.  The relationships between father and daughters, and the two sisters is key; everything works off of that, including Woodley’s boyfriend, who tags along with the family, the search for another key person in the story and the land deal that Clooney is overseeing.

The film also functions as a metaphor chronicling our modern society’s neglect (or even repudiation) of tradition, history and entrenched value systems.  Clooney’s relatives want him to sell the shared holdings of Hawaii’s undeveloped land so they can get rich; his best friends withhold information about his wife’s secret life; his oldest daughter (Woodley) is almost completely out of his control despite, or perhaps because of, his hands-off parenting style; he feels like he is losing connection with everyone around him, including his long-dead antecedents, who have entrusted him and his family with the land and the future.

So, even with its contrivances, The Descendants mulls over a great deal of important material, along with its accompanying angst.  The performers go a long way to make it palatable and real; it truly helps that Clooney’s character is a thoughtful, sincere guy and not a shark just looking to cash in on his family’s valuable land holdings.  It is a breakout role for Shailene Woodley, whose foul-mouthed, irritable teenager is the most realistic and empathetic character in the story.  Woodley may find herself walking a lot of red carpets in the next few months because of this role.  It is a good movie, with a lot to say, but it could have been even better.  ✰ ✰ ✰.  9 Dec. 2011.