The Descendants

MLK Day was SUPPOSE to be cleaning day (we still haven't put everything away since returning from Samoa)...and then just when I was getting in the mood of cleaning, my Dad calls and offers an outing to the movies. We finally got to see The Descendants. If you remember, I posted about reading the novel and really enjoyed it. The movie was really good, especially the background Hawaiian music. George Clooney could totally past as a local Hawaiian with his aloha shirt. He totally reminded me of my Dad, and throughout the movie my Mom and I kept saying, "He looks like Dad from that angle...semi-gray wavy hair, the facials, the Reyn's aloha shirts and slippers." 

If you haven't seen it, go watch it! It may seem kinda weird if you haven't read the novel, but I definitely recommend it. I also liked that it portrayed a real image of Hawaii, with real problems.  (I cracked up at the opening scene when they showed the homeless in Waikiki and the Hawaiian aunties w/choke gold bracelets camping on the beach). 

 -"My friends think that just because we live in Hawaii, we live in paradise. We're all just out here sipping Mai Tai's, shaking our hips and catching waves. Are they insane? Do they think we're immune to life? How can they possibly think our families are less screwed up? Our heartaches, less painful?"

The younger daughter was annoying, but they seem like a typical rich hapa-haole family, private school kids, and an old gorgeous house in what seems like Nu'uanu, etc. I only know this from being around tons of private school girls when I danced for Halau Mohala Ilima, where us 'public school' hula sisters were the minority. So the daughters reminded me of all my hula sisters that were half haole/half hawaiian (but mainly japanese) and attended Punahou (Rich brats, jk jk jk, they were my friends). Anyways, 2 Golden Globes. Beautiful scenery, music, storyline, and closing scene where Matt King (Clooney) defends his Hawaiian heritage even though he knows he's been raised haole  ("can barely speak pidgin or hawaiian") & privileged. Both funny & sad. Must See!