By Sarah Sluis
Let it be known: Embarrassment and humiliation can be funny. However, this kind of humor is also a divider. One of the worst experiences during a comedy is cringing at something (a fall, a turn of phrase, a rejection) that's supposed to make you laugh. The best comedians and actors make you feel okay about laughing at them, and the worst ones make you feel sorry for them, annoyed, or frustrated. In Alexander Payne's films, he often manages the near-impossible feat of having you have laugh at and empathize with his characters at the same time. After watching the trailer of The Descendants, I feel strongly that he's pulled off his trademark tonal mix yet again.
Set in a residential Hawaii, The Descendants spotlights George Clooney. When his wife is hospitalized after a boating accident, he's unexpectedly thrust into full-time fatherhood after being the "back-up parent." His daughter (Shailene Woodley) also informs him that his wife has been cheating on him. I was impressed with Woodley, who has a few seasons under her belt starring in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" but hasn't made it to the big screen yet. Payne's writing/directing projects have always blended dark humor with personal drama. Election, Sideways, and About Schmidt have characters that stick in your mind, along with a strong sense of place. The Descendants appears to do the same.
The trailer ends with "coming soon," but Fox Searchlight had previously announced that the film would release December 16, 2011, smack-dab in the middle of awards season. As a great appreciator of Payne's work, especially Election, I know he can show me a character whose life is falling apart and looking like this, and I'll still leave the theatre with a mixture of laughter and empathy.
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