The Descendants, Movie Review Example

The element of the Hawaiian culture was a strong factor in the development of Matt King, played by George Clooney. Although the movie portrays his character as mostly a lawyer who’s about business in his dealings with real estate, the Hawaiian culture aids in the development of his character throughout the movie. At the end of the movie, his decision to not sign the contract which would turn over the real estate property from his family for money was the highlight of this development.

Alex, Scottie, and Sid all showed developments in their character attributing to the marital problems shown in the movie. Alex and Sid started off bitter not caring about anything but drinking and having a good time. However the conversation between Matt and Sid in the living room exposed Sid to have his own family issues. After that, he started to be more concerned with Matt and what he was going through with his dying wife. Alex was angry about her mom cheating on her dad, but supported her dad when they were trying to confront Bryan Speers. Scottie showed love for her mother throughout the movie but more so towards the end.

The mother’s death brought Alex closer to her father and her sister. At first, she did not want to be home. However, after the family poured the mother’s ashes into the ocean, both Alex and Scottie were closer to their father.

Matt’s social development following learning of his wife’s infidelity caused him to reach out to his extended family. Matt even confronted Bryan Speers, not for revenge, but to give him the chance to say goodbye to his dying wife; which says a lot about Matt’s character.

I really enjoyed this movie because I have experienced Hawaiian culture myself and it has impacted my life and views on family. I have also been a George Clooney fan for years. I admire Matt King’s character because instead of being filled with anger and vengeance towards his wife and Bryan Speers, he accepted the circumstances and was forgiving.

Works Cited

The Decedents (Film) 2011, Directed by Alexander Payne