Movie Notes: "The Descendants"

The first reason to watch "The Descendants" is that you really want to watch "The Descendants". It's beautiful. I have a bad habit of listening to movies and TV instead of watching them - I follow the plot and the dialogue with my ears and keep my eyes on my knitting - but this is a movie that demands the eyes as well as the ears. From the gorgeous Hawaiian scenery to the many, many plot points that are conveyed by the actors' faces rather than their voices, this movie is a visual treat.

And the fact that many of the high points of the movie are conveyed without words is another of its strengths. Not that there isn't a lot of dialogue - there is - but that all the dialogue sounds like something real people would actually say, and none of it is expository story dialogue. Not only is there not a hint of info-dumping "as you know, George" speeches (from anyone but the narrator, where it's legitimate), but when a big emotional revelation occurs, none of the characters remark on it. You never hear, "Oh, that's why she felt that way" or "ah, now I understand my daughter". They just show you, they never tell. And it's so much better that way. (I love the moment when you realize that the father character has just realized why his daughter is hanging out with someone who seems to be a real loser.)

So what's this movie about? It's about death. It's about a father guiding his daughters through the few short  days while their mother lingers in a coma. Sounds depressing, right? Here's the thing: it's not. It is sad, but it's not depressing, and again, that's a tribute to the skill of the movie-makers - screenwriters, actors, producers, the whole deal. People talk about movies that make you laugh and cry, and I'm not sure how often they mean it, but I did both at this movie. It's incredibly funny in parts - just the way real life is even when awful things are happening.

One of the things I thought was interesting in this movie was how foul language was used. Both of the daughters use it, and it's deplorable (here's me, deploring it). But the father only swears, that I can recall, once. And it's almost like the filmmakers were purposeful juxtaposing the two: showing how the words lose their power and are just distressing when used over and over by young girls, but how words like that can have real power when used sparingly and only when the circumstances really call for them and by someone who really means what he says.

I think the reason this film was sad but not depressing is because if it's about death, it's also about one other important thing: it's about love. Love was the overarching theme, and you just couldn't miss it.

Oh, and watch for the yellow and white quilt. Watch what happens with it.

Contains adult themes and language. Recommended for grown-ups.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell