学文网在历届的奥斯卡获奖名单中，不太受重视的最佳编剧和最佳改编剧本奖往往由一些或深刻或特别的影片获得。第84届奥斯卡最佳改编剧本奖的得主《后裔》(The Descendants)就是这样一部特别的影片。影片颇为笼统的名称让人有点不知所云，其实观众也只有看完了这部影片才能慢慢体味这个词的深刻内涵。
简单地说，《后裔》讲述的故事并不复杂，地产律师Matt的妻子Elizabeth因为一次意外变成了植物人，并且大限将至，令Matt倍受打击。与此同时，Matt还不得不忙着处理他继承的一块夏威夷处女地。就在Matt因这两件事而焦头烂额之际，他又从女儿口中得知妻子在出意外前曾对自己不忠，由此又引发了一系列的故事。
家庭与土地
影片以主人公Matt的一段自述拉开了序幕。
Matt: My friends on the mainland think just because I live in Hawaii, I live in paradise, like a permanent vacation. We’re all just out here sipping mai tais (鸡尾酒的一种), 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 (弄糟的), our cancers less fatal, and our heartaches less painful? Hell, I haven’t been on a surfboard in 15 years. For the last 23 days I’ve been living in a paradise of IVs (静脉注射) and urine bags (尿袋) and tracheal tubes (导气管). Paradise?
由影帝级明星乔治·克鲁尼扮演的男主人公Matt是世代居住在夏威夷的中年地产律师，由于常年忙于工作，他与妻子和两个女儿逐渐疏远。直到妻子Elizabeth在一次快艇比赛中受伤变成植物人，Matt才不得不接管繁杂的家庭事务，代替妻子照顾两个女儿——17岁的Alex和10岁的Scottie。对Matt来说，他要面对的是从未有过的挑战。
Matt接管家庭事务后，才发现自己曾令人艳羡不已的家庭如今已经是千疮百孔。大女儿Alex在收费昂贵的贵族学校酗酒、闹事，还交了一个不靠谱的男友。小女儿Scottie在学校也是麻烦不断，她拍下母亲躺在病床上奄奄一息的场景，并将这些照片当做艺术课作业在课堂上发给同学看，结果把很多小朋友都吓坏了。Matt因此批评了小女儿Scottie。
Matt: What’s the matter with you, showing those pictures of mom for your art project?
Scottie: I’m a photographer, Dad, a real photographer.
Matt: No, you’re not. You’re overdoing it.
Scottie: I saw it in a book. Some famous photographer lady took pictures of her mom in the hospital while she was dying, and they’re considered art. That’s what I’m doing.
Matt: First of all, your mother is very sick, but she isn’t dying. And second of all, we don’t share personal stuff with strangers. What’s going on with your mom is private.
不仅如此，Scottie还嘲讽了一位身材肥胖的同学，Matt不得不带着她去同学家道歉。离开同学家时，同学的母亲与Matt的一段对话引出了影片的另一条线索。
Woman: Luck with the sale. They say your decision (指Matt对夏威夷处女地的处理决定) will have a major impact on Hawaii’s real-estate world, not to mention the whole landscape of Kauai (夏威夷的考艾岛). Hundreds of millions of dollars, yeah?
Matt: Yeah. It’s a big decision.
Woman: My husband’s family is from Kauai, Hanapepe, born and bred (在……出生与长大). They hope you don’t sell.
原来，这位同学的父亲是夏威夷土著的后裔，世代生活在夏威夷的考艾岛上。而同样作为夏威夷土著后裔的Matt因拥有高贵的家族血统而掌握着祖先留下来的一大片未开发的处女地。Matt作为这片土地的委托人要代表整个家族与开发商进行谈判。很多开发商都开出巨资，意欲开发这片包括海滩和原始雨林的美丽土地。
Matt: As if Liz’s (Liz即Elizabeth) coma weren’t enough already the whole goddamn state is following my decision on who’s gonna buy 25,000 pristine (原始状态的) acres on Kauai that my family has owned since the 1860s. A lot of my cousins are broke, and the sale will make us all very, very rich. My family meets in six days to approve a buyer. But ever since my father died, I’m the sole trustee which means I alone hold all the cards.
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