The Descendants

**** stars

There’s a reason why George Clooney is the frontrunner in this year’s Oscar race for best actor. He’s superb. And not just in that consistent George Clooney way. Here he seems to be putting his whole career into this performance. A funny, touching, and heartbreaking performance. With these three components mixed in with director Alexander Payne’s masterful blend of comedy and drama, you have an American masterpiece. Clooney plays Matt King, a successful lawyer who for too many years spent most of his time at the office than at home. When his wife suffers a boating accident and falls into a coma, things obviously start to change. He’s never had to be a full-time parent before. Now he does. His two daughters, Alex, age 17 (played wonderfully by Shailene Woodley) & Scottie, age 10 (Amara Miller) are good kids, but there’s clear signs of disconnect between them and their father. The beautiful conflict here is that for the first time since they all can remember, just the three of them are forced to spend time together. At the same time, Matt is on the verge of selling off his Hawaiian land for a huge chunk of change. Oh, and one more thing. His comatose wife was cheating on him. So where does this guy start? How can he get his life back together? Alexander Payne paints a portrait of Hawaiian paradise mixed in with the trials and tribulations of a family’s tragedy. A surefire Oscar contender and a homerun for all involved.