The Descendants

With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront a young real estate broker, who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune.

One of the most warmly received films of its year, The Descendants earns consistent praise for balancing grief and dark comedy without tipping into sentimentality. Critics pointed to George Clooney's performance as the anchor of a film that takes the messiness of family life seriously, and Alexander Payne's direction as assured enough to make that tonal tightrope look easy.