The Descendants (2011)

All movie images from imdb.com

"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, shaking our hips, and catching waves. Are they insane?" —Matt King

In The Descendants (2011), George Clooney plays Matt King (in an Oscar-nominated role), who lives in Hawaii, and whose wife is in a coma as the result of a boating accident. He is wrestling with the role he's played in his family's life as he is forced into the lead role from being the "back-up parent" to his two daughters, Scottie (10) and Alex (17). Learning that Elizabeth will never wake from her coma, he tells his older daughter that they need to say their last goodbyes. Alex then reveals to her dad the affair her mom was having at the time of the accident.

Add to this weight the fact that Matt King also happens, along with all his cousins, to own 25,000 acres of undeveloped land on Kauai. Land that has been passed down through generations of his family and is held in trust for a mere seven remaining years. The family's decision on what to do with the land makes headlines regularly in the newspaper, and Matt King is the sole arbiter of the trust, meaning he holds the power to make the ultimate decision.

In the throes of his wife's final days, Matt King takes his daughters to Kauai to wrestle both with his wife's affair and whether to confront the man she was involved with (played by Matthew Lillard), as well as to revisit the land of his forefathers in the hopes it will guide his judgment. They go out to eat at Tahiti Nui, where Matt runs into Cousin Hugh (Beau Bridges) at the bar and drinks an Old Fashioned while his daughter orders him mahi at the table. Side note: Beau Bridges is an actual Tahiti Nui customer!

The movie was a definite tear-jerker. Lindsey and I both ended up with watery eyes at the end of this one, something that has rarely happened in Movie Night history. It also ended up winning one Oscar, for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay. It was also nominated for the best director, editing, picture, and actor awards.

Movie Rating
Plot: 4.75
Cinematography: 4.5
Acting: 5
Average: 4.75

Let me start by saying that we could have done a better job with our dinner prep. In a rush after a busy day, I bagged the idea of actually grilling our skewers outside over charcoal to save some time and hassle. Despite it being a beautiful day, under the broiler they went. I was focused on searching out Hawaiian recipes, and naturally, pineapple was an easy place to start. I've been craving red meat lately, too, and combining the pineapple on a skewer with teriyaki-marinated steak sounded really tasty.

Movie-wise, we could have had burgers, crab legs, mahi, Mai Tais, Old Fashioneds, and either (or both!) strawberry or mocha chip ice cream for apt tie-ins.

Hawaiian Teriyaki Beef and Pineapple Skewers 
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
For the teriyaki sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 TB honey
1 TB brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced (could increase to 2)
1 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 TB cornstarch

For the skewers:
2 large beef sirloin steaks
1 fresh pineapple
1/2 red onion, cut into wedges
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into skewer-able pieces
10 skewers (we used wooden)

For serving:
brown rice

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, combine soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and vinegar over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a low boil. In a separate small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water, then add to the mixture in the saucepan. Simmer for 6–8 additional minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and cool.

Place the cubed steaks and half the teriyaki sauce in a resealable bag for at least 20 minutes (or up to overnight) to marinate. If you are making brown rice as an accompaniment, this is a good time to get it started.

Meanwhile, cut your pineapple: start by cutting off the top and bottom, then stand the fruit back up and make vertical cuts through the core to break it down into quarters. Slice off and discard the woody center and carefully cut the rind from the outer edges, discarding it as well.

Cube half the pineapple for use on your skewers and save the other half for another use (my fave other use for pineapple—completely off topic—atop greek yogurt with this granola and some honey).

Once the meat has marinated, assemble your skewers by alternating between beef, pineapple, onion, and pepper pieces. Grill the skewers, or roast them under the broiler, for about 5 minutes per side, or to until the steak is done to your preference. Serve with remaining teriyaki sauce, atop a pile of cooked rice.

Dinner Rating
Movie Relevance: 4.5
Presentation: 4.5
Taste: 4.25
Average: 4.4