The Descendants

LITTLE ROCK — Alexander Payne’s The Descendants is a thoroughly enjoyable if somewhat forgettable, fairly faithful adaptation of Kaui Hart Hemmings’ 2007 novel about a decent man’s tribulations.

It stars the ever-likable George Clooney as Matt King, a Honolulu based lawyer who is descended from American missionaries and Hawaiian royalty, and is therefore the lucky beneficiary of a vast family fortune that he oversees as the chief trustee. But as enviable as Matt’s position may seem, he is a man beset by trouble.

Most immediately, his wife (Patricia Hastie) lies permanently vegetating in a hospital, the result of a water-skiing accident. Matt must decide when to unplug her. Not making it any easier are his in-laws - particularly his father in-law, a hard-nosed type played by Robert Forster who insists on holding Matt responsible for the accident.

And having served for years as “the back-up parent,” he has no real idea how to deal with the immediate wants and needs of his two daughters, young Scottie (Amara Miller) and teenage Alexandra (Shailene Woodley). Alexandra is a particularly troublesome kid. Not only has she latched onto the sloth like stoner Sid (a scene stealing Nick Krause) but early on she drops a bomb in Matt’s lap: “Dad, Mom was cheating on you!”

And so she was, with a doughy real estate developer (Matthew Lillard, suddenly looking middle-aged) whose obvious mediocrity must rankle at least as much as his wife’s unfaithfulness. Especially since it appears Matt was the only one who hadn’t caught on to the affair.

Finally, Matt’s got a big decision to make that will affect all the members of his extended family - the rule of perpetuities requires him to either sell or bequeath a huge tract of unspoiled beachfront property. The family is divided - most want to sell, but there are a few wealthy holdouts who want to hold on to the land. A few of his relatives may genuinely need the money, some are simply greedy, and Matt has vowed to live off his own efforts - as he hopes his children will.

The story lines converge when he discovers his wife’s lover vacationing (with his family) at a resort near the King family property. Can Matt resist the urge to confront the man who made of him a cuckold?

Honestly, there is less bite in The Descendants than in any Payne film to date but as entertainment, it’s well-made and digestible - a fine movie that’s mainly distinguished by the performances of its youngest actors. Clooney is effective at suggesting an inner life for Matt, but it’s a movie star turn - we fill in vast gaps because we know and presumably like the star.

There’s nothing really wrong with that, but Payne’s done better work, more substantial work. Aside from About Schmidt (which was marred by a creepy snobbery), this is his weakest film. It’s still worth seeing.

The Descendants 88 Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges Director: Alexander Payne Rating: R, for language Running time: 115 minutes