Fantastic ‘Descendants’ embodies spirit of Hawaii

For Friday, December 2, 2011

By Ben Wood

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 02, 2011

~~<p>“THE DESCENDANTS,” starring George Clooney and filmed in Hawaii, is a terrific movie. Thank you, Kaui Hart Hemmings, for writing the book from which the film was adapted. Clooney was absolutely brilliant and could win the best-actor Oscar for his role as attorney Matt King, the descendant of a Hawaiian princess and a Caucasian banker.</p>
<p>Though they have Hawaiian blood, King, his two daughters and his cousins are considered haole and don’t speak Hawaiian because generations of their ancestors kept marrying Caucasians. King points this out to his family as they gather over the expected sale to a developer of a huge acreage of pristine Kauai land, beautiful property that reaches the ocean. A golf course, hotel, etc., are planned. The sale would make King and all of his family and relatives — who, it’s pointed out, went to Punahou — very rich. (Some real Punahou grads have roles as King’s cousins.) The land is in a trust, and only attorney King can sign off on the deal.</p>
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“THE DESCENDANTS,” starring George Clooney and filmed in Hawaii, is a terrific movie. Thank you, Kaui Hart Hemmings, for writing the book from which the film was adapted. Clooney was absolutely brilliant and could win the best-actor Oscar for his role as attorney Matt King, the descendant of a Hawaiian princess and a Caucasian banker.

Though they have Hawaiian blood, King, his two daughters and his cousins are considered haole and don’t speak Hawaiian because generations of their ancestors kept marrying Caucasians. King points this out to his family as they gather over the expected sale to a developer of a huge acreage of pristine Kauai land, beautiful property that reaches the ocean. A golf course, hotel, etc., are planned. The sale would make King and all of his family and relatives — who, it’s pointed out, went to Punahou — very rich. (Some real Punahou grads have roles as King’s cousins.) The land is in a trust, and only attorney King can sign off on the deal. Login for more...