The Descendants (2011)

  If you're a regular reader to this blog, it should come as no surprise that I didn't enjoy this movie.  I had heard from someone, I can't remember who, that this was "surprisingly funny".  They lied.  It's not funny at all.

Matt King (George Clooney) is a real estate lawyer on Oahu.  His family descends all the way from Hawaiian royalty and they have 25,000 acres of virgin land in a trust that is about to dissolve.  Matt is the only executor but has regular meetings with his cousins to discuss the bids they've gotten should they decide to sell.  One of the developers is offering half a billion dollars so the pressure to sell is quite intense.  Matt is also dealing with the pressure of raising his two daughters alone, after being told that his wife will never wake up from her coma.  His 17-year-old, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), informs him that she had caught her mom having an affair before the boating accident that landed her in the hospital.  Lost and overwhelmed, Matt manages to track down the guy (Matthew Lillard) (I know, right?) and discovers that he is also married with two children and happens to be the brother-in-law of the most popular bidder for the land.

Here's the part where they lost me.  At this point, the only ethical thing to do with the land is notify the court that there is a conflict of interest and have them appoint a new executor.  I know, that's a weird thing to get mad about, but it seriously irks me.  What is the point of this movie?  What message is it trying to send?  That it's okay to make an emotional decision with far-reaching consequences that affect hundreds, if not thousands, of people?  That it doesn't matter if you screw over your extended family as long as you've made peace with your children?  I don't get it.  That annoys me.  If anybody does get it, could you please explain it to me?