News

Like all untimely movie star deaths, you’re not really gone until the last movie you finished before your death is released. The tragic passing of Robin Williams this past summer was marked by this website and others by recognizing several of the actor’s greatest comedy hits. Sadly, A Merry Friggin’ Christmas will not join their ranks.

The set-up is simple. Boyd Mitchler (Joel McHale) traces every bad thing wrong with his life back to the horrible parenting of his drunken dad Mitch (Robin Williams). Having grown up to become a successful Chicago hedge fund manager, Boyd overcompensates with his own son, Doug (Pierce Gagnon), to make sure he gets every bit the magical Christmas that Mitch denied Boyd through bourbon-fuelled candour. Obviously Boyd’s put a lot of time and distance between him and his father, but when his younger brother, Nelson (Clark Duke), calls him up to...

Network: NBC

Episodes: 13 (half-hour)

Seasons: One

TV show dates: December 17, 2012 -- March 28, 2013

Series status: Cancelled

Performers include: Bill Pullman, Jenna Elfman, Josh Gad, Martha MacIsaac, Amara Miller, Benjamin Stockham, and Andre Holland.

TV show description:

This comedy series follows the Gilchrists, a typical American family -- sort of. They have everyday issues, like a grown kid who's forced to move back home and teenagers who are smarter than their teachers. They're loving, fun and a little crazy.

They're just like everyone else except they live in a very special house, the White House. Whether it's entertaining foreign dignitaries, holding secret cabinet meetings or putting out fires -- figuratively and sometimes literally -- there's never a dull moment in the Gilchrist White House.

President Dale Gilchrist (Bill Pullman) is...

There's just one term season for 1600 Penn. NBC has cancelled the Thursday night sitcom after one season and 13 episodes.

1600 Penn follows the dysfunctional Gilchrist family as they adapt to life in the White House. When the public voted Standrich Gilchrist (Bill Pullman) into office, they likely had no idea that they were getting his goofy son "Skip" (Josh Gad) as part of the deal. The show also features Jenna Elfman, Martha MacIsaac, Andre Holland, Amara Miller, and Benjamin Stockham.

The sitcom previewed on December 17th to a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 6.88 million viewers. For NBC, those are very good ratings.

Unfortunately, 1600 Penn couldn't hold onto those numbers. The second episode drew a 1.6 rating and 3.86 million on January 10th. A week later, the ratings fell to a 1.2 in the demo and...

Tags: 1600 PennJenna ElfmanAmara MillerWAPIMDbHulugay teens

At the Television Critics Association winter press tour, Trish Bendix got a hot tip that Marigold Gilchrist, one of the teenage characters in NBC's midseason comedy 1600 Penn, was going to come out as a lesbian. And she did. At the end of the pilot episode, after we'd been introduced to all of the other kids in the quirky First Family — the awkward but lovable Skip, the overachieving but accidentally pregnant Becca, the middle school prodigy Xander — Marigold revealed her sexuality without any fanfare. When her stepmom asked the name of the boy she had a crush on, Becca simply said, "Jessica."

1600 Penn has aired 13 episodes so far, and most of them have focused on Skip and Becca's highjinks, but during episode five, "Frosting Nixon," we did get to meet the object of Marigold's affection. Jessica is the queen bee of Xander and Marigold's prep school,...

A White House comedy? Will 1600 Penn find ratings success (like NBC's West Wing) or will it be cancelled quickly like Animal Practice? Time will tell.

The TV series stars Josh Gad as the goofball son of the President of the United States (Bill Pullman). Others in the cast include Jenna Elfman, Martha MacIsaac, Andre Holland, Amara Miller, and Benjamin Stockham.

Below are the TV show's ratings for the 2012-13 season, the best way to tell if 1600 Penn will be cancelled or renewed for a second season. The show typically airs on Thursday nights.

These figures will be updated as the weeks progress so be sure to bookmark and return to this page:

Final season averages: 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 2.86 million total viewers.

Episode 01-13: Thursday, 03/28/13 (finale)...

At just 12 years old, breakout actress Amara Miller has already found success in both television and film. In just a short few years Miller has found herself on the big screen in the critically acclaimed project The Descendants and also starring alongside Josh Gad in the latest NBC series 1600 Penn. Talented in both drama and comedy, it's no wonder that director Alexander Payne immediately picked her out from an audition video to play George Clooney's daughter in the 2001 film.

Now playing Marigold Gilchrist in 1600 Penn, Miller is excited and grateful for the experiences she has had so far. In my latest interview with the up-and-comer, Miller revealed how she got into acting, her favorite moment so far in the industry, and who she would love to work with one day.

How's it been working on 1600 Penn so far?

Amara Miller: It's definitely a lot of fun. Everyone there is really hilarious.

At just 12 years old, breakout actress Amara Miller has already found success in both television and film. In just a short few years Miller has found herself on the big screen in the critically acclaimed project The Descendants and also starring alongside Josh Gad in the latest NBC series 1600 Penn. Talented in both drama and comedy, it's no wonder that director Alexander Payne immediately picked her out from an audition video to play George Clooney's daughter in the 2001 film.

Now playing Marigold Gilchrist in 1600 Penn, Miller is excited and grateful for the experiences she has had so far. In my latest interview with the up-and-comer, Miller revealed how she got into acting, her favorite moment so far in the industry, and who she would love to work with one day.

How's it been working on 1600 Penn so far?

Amara Miller: It's definitely a lot of fun. Everyone there is really hilarious.

Bill Pullman is no stranger to the fictional presidency, having played the commander-in-chief in "Independence Day," but his latest role as President Dale Gilchrist on NBC's "1600 Penn" is pretty far removed from the 1996 blockbuster.

The comedy series aims to make the first family more relatable, dealing with problems like unplanned pregnancy, adult kids being forced to move back in with their parents, and the friction between a stepmother and her new children.

Created by star Josh Gad (who plays oldest son Skip Gilchrist), Jon Lovett and Jason Winer, the show also co-stars Jenna Elfman as First Lady Emily; Martha MacIsaac, Amara Miller and Benjamin Stockham as the other Gilchrist kids; and Andre Holland as press secretary Marshall Malloy.

Below, see what Pullman told HuffPost TV about returning to comedy, the complicated dynamics within the Gilchrist family and his top tips for playing the president.

What can you tell us about your character,...

Larry King is heading to the White House.

The former long-running CNN host will make a guest appearance on "1600 Penn," NBC's new comedy about a fictional first family and their lives at the legendary Washington, D.C. address.

NBC announced that King was among a collection of real-life journalists who will stop by "1600 Penn" on Sunday at the 2013 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour. Joining King are Savannah Guthrie of "Today," NBC's Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd, and "Morning Joe" co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough.

On Sunday, Guthrie retweeted the news about her appearance on "1600 Penn," which sees Bill Pullman return to his Potus position for the first time since the 1996 box office hit "Independence Day."

"1600 Penn" stars Pullman as Presiden Dale Gilchrist, with Jenna Elfman acting as First Lady Emily Nash-Gilchrist and step-mother to his children Skip (Josh Gad), Becca (Martha MacIsaac), Marigold (Amara Miller) and Zander...

Using the model that worked so well for "Go On" this summer, NBC has offered its viewers a holiday sneak peek of its new comedy, "1600 Penn." But did the political sitcom rise to presidential levels? Or did it fall to the ground like a flaming chair in the middle of a press conference.

Hey, if nothing else, this show has delivered on some excellent similes.

The basics: President Dale Gilchrest (Bill Pullman) can lead a country but has trouble leading his family (possibly because he mostly ignores them). This means his new wife Emily (Jenna Elfman) can't get the kids to talk to her. Eldest son, Skip (Josh Gad, Secret Service codename, "Meatball"), is a goofy failure who frequently sets things on fire. Daughter Becca (Martha MacIsaac) is the perfect overachiever. So of course she's pregnant. There are two other kids, Marigold (Amara Miller) and Xander (Benjamin Stockham). Marigold is an adolescent lesbian,...

NBC certainly could use a new hit comedy. Will 1600 Penn be a big success or will it be cancelled before the first season finishes airing? Is it even worth watching?

1600 Penn revolves around the Gilchrist clan. They're a typical American family -- except for the fact that they live in the White House. A particular challenge for the administration is the eldest son who's a goofball and who's recently moved back home. The cast includes Bill Pullman, Jenna Elfman, Josh Gad, Martha MacIsaac, Amara Miller, Benjamin Stockham, and Andre Holland.

Sound interesting or like a big flop? Here's what some of the critics are saying:

THR: "Gad is so relentlessly spot-on as Skip, a slacker kid who never really has grown up -- even after seven years of college -- that he can keep the parts moving while viewers...

Name: Emma Kenny ... aka the kid on "Shameless"Age: 13-years-oldPay rate: $12,000-per-episode (plus yearly raises!)Name: Amara Miller ... aka the kid on "1600 Penn"Age: 12-years-oldPay Rate: $20,000 Per Episode!!!!Both Emma and Amara have filed their contracts with L.A. County Superior Court so the judge can approve their deals (as all underage actors are required to do in California). According to the docs, Emma started off making $12k per ep when "Shameless" premiered back in...

This is the Pure Movies review of The Descendants, directed by Alexander Payne and starring George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Patricia Hastie, Grace A. Cruz, Kim Gennaula and Karen Kuioka Hironaga. Elizabeth King is in a coma. Not much of an acting part for poor Patricia Hastie, bless her, but she does a valiant job under tricky circumstances. Unfortunately for our unconscious star, while the action taking place around her is entertaining enough, and even touches on raw humanity in places, it ultimately rings slightly hollow. I’d like to say that attractive Elizabeth creates that hollow - her intriguing and charismatic personality leaving a feeling of clutching emptiness at the core of the narrative. But in fact, it is hard to care much about the pretty, neglected wife and her predictable affair. Perhaps it wasn’t such great acting after all, Liz. Sorry.

Oscar winning movie (Best Adapted Screenplay), The Descendants hit DVD and Blu-ray in the UK yesterday and to celebrate, we’ve got this exclusive featurette from the movie with the rather intriguing title ‘Everybody Loves George’. It basically has all the members of the cast telling us why George Clooney is such a top bloke! It features some unseen footage of them playing around on set and is a really nice little video.

The Descendants stars George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel, Patricia Hastie, is directed by Alexander Payne and you can order your copy of the movie here.

From Alexander Payne, the creator of the Oscar-winning Sideways, set in Hawaii, The Descendants is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced...

NBC has released a bunch of trailers and clips for a new collection of TV series that they have been developing. We've got stuff from 1600 Penn, Infamous, Save Me, Next Caller, Do No Harm, The New Normal, Guys With Kids, and Go On. It will be interesting to what shows make it and what shows end up on the chopping block. Check out the trailers and clips and let us know which ones look good to you!

1600 Penn:

“1600 Penn” — The Gilchrists are just the average American family dealing with all the everyday issues – like a grown kid who’s forced to move back home, children who are smarter than their teachers and a stepmom (Jenna Elfman, “Dharma and Greg”) desperately trying to win over the kids. They’re loving, fun and a little crazy. In other words, just like everybody else. With one exception: they live in a very special house.

In advance of their official Upfronts presentation on Monday, NBC jumped the gun to be the first network to unveil their complete 2012-2013 schedule on Sunday.

The biggest story? "Community" is moving to Fridays, along with sophomore sitcom "Whitney," which will kick off that rather random new night of programming.

"Smash" is also being bumped -- all the way to midseason -- to make way for the premiere of "Revolution," a new thriller from J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke, which will air after "The Voice" on Mondays. And yes, that means "The Voice" will be back in the fall, giving it two cycles a year, as predicted.

NBC will also try their hand at airing comedies on Tuesday nights, with Matthew Perry's "Go On" and Ryan Murphy's "Th New Normal" getting paired together.

Also being saved for midseason are new sitcoms "Save Me," "1600 Penn" and "Next Caller," and new dramas "Do No Harm,...

In advance of their official Upfronts presentation on Monday, NBC jumped the gun to be the first network to unveil their complete 2012-2013 schedule on Sunday.

The biggest story? "Community" is moving to Fridays, along with sophomore sitcom "Whitney," which will kick off that rather random new night of programming.

"Smash" is also being bumped -- all the way to midseason -- to make way for the premiere of "Revolution," a new thriller from J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke, which will air after "The Voice" on Mondays. And yes, that means "The Voice" will be back in the fall, giving it two cycles a year, as predicted.

NBC will also try their hand at airing comedies on Tuesday nights, with Matthew Perry's "Go On" and Ryan Murphy's "Th New Normal" getting paired together.

Also being saved for midseason are new sitcoms "Save Me," "1600 Penn" and "Next Caller," and new dramas "Do No Harm,...

With its Upfront presentation just a few days away, during which the network will unveil its official 2012-2013 schedule, NBC made a number of pilot announcements this week.

The struggling Peacock has ordered six shows to series, and we've got your first look below at cast portraits from each one, starting with...

Chicago Fire: Centers on the life of firefighters in The Windy City. Stars Taylor Kinney, Jesse Spencer, Monica Raymund, former David Eigenberg, Eamonn Walker, Lauren German and Charlie Barnett.

Revolution: From J.J. Abrams, focuses on survivors in a world without electricity. Stars: Anna Lise Phillips, Graham Rogers, Tim Guiee, David Lyons, Billy Burke as Miles, Tracy Spiridakos, Andrea Roth, Maria Howell, Zak Orth, Giancarlo Esposito.

1600 Penn: A comedy about a quirky First Family. Stars Benjamin Stockham, Martha MacIsaacs, Bill Pullman, Amara Miller, Josh Gad, Jenna Elfman and Andre Holland.

Animal Practice: Imagine Gregory House, as a veterinarian.

NBC is going big on comedies for next season. The network has already picked up three half-hour shows for 2012-13, and it's now adding two more -- "1600 Penn" and "Animal Practice" -- to its roster.

They join the previously picked up comedies "Go On," "The New Normal" and "Save Me," along with the drama "Revolution." The network will likely add a couple more dramas in the next few days before unveiling its schedule for next year on Monday (May 14).

"Animal Practice" (formerly called "Animal Kingdom") stars Justin Kirk ("Weeds") as a veterinarian who likes the animals he treats but tends to hate their owners. Alessandro Tanaka and Brian Gatewood ("The Sitter") created the show, which also stars Tyler Labine ("Reaper," "Mad Love"), Amy Huberman and Bobby Lee ("MADtv").

The White House-set "1600 Penn" stars Bill Pullman as the president of the United States -- presumably one not facing an alien invasion...

NBC bolstered its upcoming comedy roster by picking up the White House comedy "1600 Penn" and the office comedy "Animal Practice" (formerly "Animal Kingdom") to series Monday. The single-camera comedy "1600 Penn," from 20th Century Fox Television, revolves around a First Family in the White House  "where all the kids are far from perfect." Bill Pullman (pictured) stars as President Gilchrist, while writer/producer Josh Gad plays Skip and Andre Holland plays Marshall Malloy and Amara Miller portrays Marigold. Jenna Elfman also stars. Also read: Ryan Murphy's 'The New Normal,' J.J. Abrams' 'Revolution'...

Exclusive: There is a casting change on the NBC White House family comedy pilot 1600 Penn following the project’s table read yesterday. The role of the President’s eldest daughter Becca is being recast with Martha MacIsaac (Greek). Brittany Snow was originally tapped for the role. The producers opted to make a creative change with a younger and darker-looking Becca after the table read as the original character and Snow appeared not to mesh well with the rest of the family, including in physical resemblance with the other siblings. Coincidentally, MacIsaac also played a character named Becca in Superbad. Co-created by Josh Gad, Jason Winer and Jon Lovett and directed by Winer, 1600 Penn is a dysfunctional family comedy set at the White House, where the president’s (Bill Pullman) out-of-control oldest son (Gad) returns home and becomes not only the family’s biggest liability but also the glue holding everyone together.

It used to be, Tom Hanks was the everyman who took us into one film after another, giving us a chance to experience the mundane to the fantastic. That role in many ways has been ceded to George Clooney, who displays in one film after another, a charismatic vulnerability that makes you root for him regardless of the circumstances. He brings that empathy to Matt King, the lead figure in The Descendants, out this week from 20th Century Home Entertainment.

Yeah, we all now he was nominated for Best Actor but if you haven’t seen the film; you can watch the video and see the actor lose himself in the character. King is married, with two teen children, and has his world rocked, first by the wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) getting sick and then learning she has been having an affair. While she lingers in the hospital, he goes...

DVD Review

The Descendants

Directed by: Alexander Payne

Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Nick Krause, Robert Forster

Running Time: 1 hr 55 mins

Rating: R

Due Out: March 13, 2012

Plot: After his wife gets into a boating accident, Matt King (Clooney) tries reconnecting with his two daughters while overseeing the possible sale of a large piece of Hawaiian land that’s been in his family for decades.

Who’S It For? Fans of George Clooney and Alexander Payne should have no trouble finding plenty to like about this film. Those who appreciate a family drama that elicits tears as well as laughs should also take a look.

Movie:

It takes a deft hand to successfully blend tragedy and laughs. I’m not going to pretend The Descendants pulls it off flawlessly – Nick Krause’s comic relief rubbed me the wrong way for much of the film – but overall it’s another winner from writer/director Alexander Payne.

Jenna Elfman is headed to the White House. According to TVLine, The "Dharma and Greg" alum has been cast in NBC's "1600 Penn" alongside Bill Pullman, Brittany Snow, Josh Gad and Amara Miller.

Elfman is set to play the president (Pullman)'s wife in the comedy pilot about a dysfunctional First family, which which will be directed by Jason Winer.

In other casting news...

"Friday Night Lights" alum Gaius Charles has joined the cast of "NCIS." On the CBS drama, Charles will play Jason, a smart and likable character alongside Tony (Michael Weatherly), who saved him from a fire five years earlier. [TVLine]

"7th Heaven" actor Carlos Ponce has landed a spot on Nick at Nite's "Hollywood Heights." In a U.S. adaptation of the Mexican telenovela "Alcanzara Una Estrella," Ponce has been cast as father to Eddie Wild, a rock star who develops a relationship with aspiring teen musician Loren (Brittany Underwood...

Jenna Elfman is headed to the White House. According to TVLine, The "Dharma and Greg" alum has been cast in NBC's "1600 Penn" alongside Bill Pullman, Brittany Snow, Josh Gad and Amara Miller.

Elfman is set to play the president (Pullman)'s wife in the comedy pilot about a dysfunctional First family, which which will be directed by Jason Winer.

In other casting news...

"Friday Night Lights" alum Gaius Charles has joined the cast of "NCIS." On the CBS drama, Charles will play Jason, a smart and likable character alongside Tony (Michael Weatherly), who saved him from a fire five years earlier. [TVLine]

"7th Heaven" actor Carlos Ponce has landed a spot on Nick at Nite's "Hollywood Heights." In a U.S. adaptation of the Mexican telenovela "Alcanzara Una Estrella," Ponce has been cast as father to Eddie Wild, a rock star who develops a relationship with aspiring teen musician Loren (Brittany Underwood...

Jenna Elfman has joined NBC political comedy 1600 Penn. The pilot, written by former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett, will focus on the Us President (Bill Pullman) and his dysfunctional family. Dharma & Greg star Elfman will play the First Lady, according to TVLine. The actress also appeared on CBS sitcom Accidentally on Purpose and will star in the final season of Damages. Brittany Snow (Harry's Law), Josh Gad (Love and Other Drugs) and Amara Miller (more)...

That’s First Lady Dharma, to you.

Sitcom vet Jenna Elfman has been tapped to play the wife of the president in 1600 Penn, NBC’s NBC’s Washington D.C.-set comedy pilot about a dysfunctional family that just happens to reside at the most famous address in the United States.

Bill Pullman fills the commander-in-chief role and Brittany Snow (American Dreams), Josh Gad (Book of Mormon) and Amara Miller (The Descendents) play the first children.

Modern Family‘s Jason Winer will direct the pilot and serve as an exec producer alongside Gad and former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett.

Elfman,...

"Happy Days" star Marion Ross is headed to NBC's "Up All Night," reports TVLine.

The former "Happy Days" star will play Chris' (Will Arnett) tough, doting grandmother. While Chris is the apple of Gammy’s eye, she can hardly stand Reagan (Christina Applegate). We sense that there's some family drama on the way.

Ross won't be the only "Happy Days" vet to guest star on the show. Henry “The Fonz” Winkler will play as Ava’s (Maya Rudolph) father in an upcoming episode.

In other casting news...

"ER" vet Anthony Edwards will return to TV in the ABC pilot "Zero Night." It will center on a magazine editor who becomes involved in one the most compelling conspiracies in human history when his wife is kidnapped. [TVLine]

Ken Marino will co-star in "American Judy," ABC's Judy Greer comedy pilot about a cosmopolitan woman who gets married and moves to the suburbs.

"Happy Days" star Marion Ross is headed to NBC's "Up All Night," reports TVLine.

The former "Happy Days" star will play Chris' (Will Arnett) tough, doting grandmother. While Chris is the apple of Gammy’s eye, she can hardly stand Reagan (Christina Applegate). We sense that there's some family drama on the way.

Ross won't be the only "Happy Days" vet to guest star on the show. Henry “The Fonz” Winkler will play as Ava’s (Maya Rudolph) father in an upcoming episode.

In other casting news...

"ER" vet Anthony Edwards will return to TV in the ABC pilot "Zero Night." It will center on a magazine editor who becomes involved in one the most compelling conspiracies in human history when his wife is kidnapped. [TVLine]

Ken Marino will co-star in "American Judy," ABC's Judy Greer comedy pilot about a cosmopolitan woman who gets married and moves to the suburbs.

Amara Miller has landed a role in NBC's pilot 1600 Penn. The comedy, which has been co-written by Barack Obama's former speechwriter Jon Lovett, focuses on the Us president and his dysfunctional family. Miller has now joined the cast as Marigold, one of the president's 13-year-old twins, TV Line says. Marigold, the youngest of the president's children, is described as tough. Miller recently starred (more)...

George Clooney’s Descendants daughter is moving into the White House.

Amara Miller, who played Clooney’s youngest kid in the Oscar nominated flick, has been cast as Marigold, the tough, youngest daughter of the President (Bill Pullman) and half of a pair of 13-year-old twins in NBC’s Washington D.C.-set comedy pilot 1600 Penn.

The single-camera project revolves around a dysfunctional family that just happens to reside at the most famous address in the United States.

The cast also includes Brittany Snow and Josh Gad (Book of Mormon) as the Prez’s other kids.

Follow @MichaelAusiello...

Aidan Quinn is set to co-star opposite Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu in CBS’ drama pilot Elementary. The project, written by Robert Doherty, is set in present day and stars Miller as eccentric Brit Sherlock Holmes, a former consultant to Scotland Yard whose addiction problems led him to a rehab center in New York City. Just out of rehab, Holmes now lives in Brooklyn with “sober companion” Joan Watson (Liu) while consulting for the NYPD. Quinn will play NYPD Captain Gregson who worked with Sherlock at Scotland Yard after 9/11 and was so impressed with his work that he has invited him to work as a consultant to the police in New York City. Gregson grew accustomed to Sherlock’s “eccentricities” in the U.K., but knows they won’t necessarily fly in the Big Apple. Michael Cuesta is directing the pilot, produced by CBS TV Studios and Timberman/Beverly.

Descendents co-star Amara Miller has landed a role in Fox’s White House drama pilot.

Miller will play the daughter of the president (Bill Pullman) in 1600 Penn. It’s the story a dysfunctional First Family in which the out-of-control oldest son (Josh Gad) returns home and becomes not only it’s biggest liability but also the glue holding everyone together. Brittany Snow and Andre Holland also star.

Miller scored her first role in The Descendents, playing George Clooney’s daughter.

Amara Miller is moving from Hawaii to the White House. The young actress, who made her Hollywood debut as George Clooney's precocious daughter in The Descendants, has been tapped to co-star in NBC’s White House comedy pilot, 1600 Penn. The project, which hails from 20th Century Fox TV, revolves around a dysfunctional first family whose out-of-control oldest son (Josh Gad) returns home and becomes not only its biggest liability but also the glue holding everyone together. Miller will play Marigold, the tough, youngest daughter of the president (Bill Pullman) and half of a pair of 13-year-old twins. She

read more...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: March 13, 2012

Price: DVD $29.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.99

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Loved by critics and audience members, The Descendants scored a worthy Academy Award and two Golden Globes, including Best Picture.

From writer/director Alexander Payne (Sideways), the movie stars George Clooney (The Ides of March) as businessman Matt King, who has a lot on his plate: he’s on deadline to bring his extended family (including Beau Bridges, Columbus Circle) together to sell their land in Hawaii, his wife (Patricia Hastie, Princess Kaiulani) is in a coma after a boating accident and his daughter’s (Shailene Woodley, TV’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager) angry because she knows her mom was cheating on her dad.

The cast also includes Judy Greer (Barry Munday), Matthew Lillard (Spooner), Nick Krause (How to Eat Fried Worms) and newcomer Amara Miller.

Rated R, The Descendants is...

Getty Images George Clooney arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards.

The 84th annual Academy Awards with host Billy Crystal are being held tonight and Speakeasy is live-blogging the show. We have reporters in the audience, in the press room and at the parties getting the latest on all the events of the night. Stars on hand for the show include George Clooney, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Penelope Ann Miller and Christopher Plummer. Top films in contention include “The Help,...

You've made it through the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards and everything in between -- now the time has come for cinema's ultimate celebration: The 2012 Academy Awards!

Oscar Watch - And the Nominees Are...

And we'll be live-blogging all the action for our fellow couch surfers .. so watch and read along!

2:34 p.m. - First on the red carpet is 11-year-old Descendants co-star Amara Miller. She not only has a stylist, but is wearing Valentino couture. Only in Hollywood folks!

2:40 p.m. - E! shows a shot of Missy Piggy and Kermit arriving. They are adorable. I want them to host this god-forsaken show.

2: 42 p.m. - The Artist star Penelope Ann Miller looks gorgeous in Badgley Mischka. Check out my interview with her here!

2:52 p.m. - Missi Pyle is wearing a stunning eco-friendly dress by Valentina Delfino. Definitely have an early front-runner for best dressed!

2:54 p.m. -...

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, handed out top honors to The Artist, The Descendants and Margin Call at this afternoon’s 27th Film Independent Spirit Awards. My Week With Marilyn, Beginners, 50/50, A Separation and The Interrupters also received awards at the ceremony, held in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.

Tune in to IFC tonight at 10:00 pm Et/Pt to catch all the action at the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards, with actor, writer and producer Seth Rogen hosting. Highlights include: John Waters as the Voice of God, musical performances by My Morning Jacket and K’Naan.

The Spirit Awards was the first event to exclusively honor independent film, and over the past 27 years, has become the premier awards show for the independent film community, celebrating films made by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. Artists...

The 2012 Academy Awards are almost here, and "Extra" takes a closer look at the nine Best Picture nominees, including "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," "The Help," "Hugo," "Midnight in Paris," "Moneyball," "The Tree of Life" and "War Horse."

2012 Best Picture Nominees: Refresher Course'The Artist'

The Skinny: George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a charismatic silent film star, finds himself spiraling into depression when talkies take over - only to be saved by...

George Clooney gives the performance of his life as a man in search of a moral compass on a Hawaii that is no paradise

Nothing gives me more pleasure than to welcome a new film by the gifted writer-director Alexander Payne, especially as The Descendants, his first movie since Sideways eight years ago, is so good, and in so many ways. His early pictures centred on the troubled lives, doubts and self-deceptions of middle-class people in his native Nebraska: the teacher played by Matthew Broderick getting into hot water of his own making in Election; the grumpy retired insurance executive (Jack Nicholson at his most engagingly misanthropic) coming to terms with the death of his wife in About Schmidt. In Sideways, Payne moved west to California, where two uneasy former college friends (one divorced, one about to marry) embark on a disastrous wine-tasting vacation.

In the early 1930s, Edmund Wilson,...

The Descendants (15)

(Alexander Payne, 2011, Us) George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Robert Forster. 115 mins

A sideways move from Sideways takes Payne on another tour of masculine crises, though this has mellowed and matured for longer. Family issues jolt Clooney out of his Hawaiian comfort zone. His wife's sudden coma puts him in charge of their two daughters, and brings their marriage into perspective, while his control of the ancestral estate adds to the burden. It's a well-rooted drama of great performances and big themes (and probably big awards).

Like Crazy (12A)

(Drake Doremus, 2011, Us) Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence. 90 mins

Young love sees no colour, but it must abide by visa regulations in this cross-Atlantic romantic saga, which tests a couple's endurance in an offbeat, indie style.

The Grey (15)

(Joe Carnahan, 2012, Us) Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo. 117 mins

Liam Neeson v wolves – seems like a good match.

We’ve been given this absolutely fantastic extended featurette which is simply George Clooney and Director Alexander Payne talking about The Descendants but it’s so much more than that as they touch on their own experiences on movies and some of their favourite actors and experiences in their own careers.

The featurettes 12 minute featurette focuses on 4 main areas, Directing Drama and Comedy, Acting and Character and Shooting Style but Clooney gives us some great insights into working on ER and it’s so nice to hear both of them talking about their own little experiences on different sets and what they obviously love to do.

The Descendants has just been nominated for (among others), Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director so this is definitely one to watch. If you’ve not seen our review of the movie, have a read here after you’ve watched the below which...

Alexander Payne has toned down his masculinity-crisis shtick, and lost something in the process

This sweet, sad new film from Alexander Payne holds a promise of gentleness that is fulfilled, and a promise of complexity that isn't. Starring George Clooney as a wealthy Hawaiian lawyer whose wife is in a coma, The Descendants has a kind of surface difficulty, but is distinctly soft-centred, lenient and sentimental compared to the three scabrous and brilliant pictures that have cemented Payne's reputation over the last decade.

It is commonplace to refer to Payne's films as bittersweet, and to the director himself as American cinema's prose-poet of the male menopause. In Election (1999), Matthew Broderick is the middle-aged schoolteacher who conceives an obsession with a pushy teen pupil – a career-best performance from Reese Witherspoon – whose chances of becoming school-president he attempts to destroy . In About Schmidt (2002), Jack Nicholson's lonely and cantankerous widower embarks on...

I approach every new Clooney film with the expectation of being well entertained. In recent times the appearance of his chiselled jaw on a film poster has become as near a guarantee of a good film as any A-Lister can provide. And that’s exactly what we get with The Descendants. It's a good film, but for my money it never goes beyond that and at times actually feels somewhat stifled by the presence of its solitary A-list presence.

Clooney plays Matt King, a Hawaiian lawyer who discovers that wife Elizabeth, who is in a coma following a boating accident, was cheating on him and attempts to track down the man involved. While dealing with the emotional fallout of both the accident and his wife's betrayal King is also overseeing the multi-million dollar sale of the ancestral family land to a set of property developers. He is aided and abetted...

Hotly tipped to go to the Oscars next month, we’ve got only a few days left before Alexander Payne’s The Descendants comes to cinemas here in the UK. We got the first trailer for the film back in May last year, and it’s been something to look forward to ever since.

The beautiful first poster arrived a few days before the trailer, and we’ve now got a new poster to share with you, via Imp Awards, with George Clooney front and centre, and his character’s two daughters, playing by Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller, off in the background.

“Synopsis: From Alexander Payne, the creator of the Oscar-winning Sideways, set in Hawaii, The Descendants is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when...

The director of About Schmidt and Sideways returns with The Descendants. Here’s Ryan’s review of a great comedy drama…

If there’s one thing that links Alexander Payne’s recent movies, it’s their floundering male protagonists, who find themselves confounded by the world around them – whether it’s Jack Nicholson’s ageing insurance worker in About Schmidt, struggling to get used to retirement, or Paul Giamatti’s sloshed, depressive writer in Sideways.

Payne’s latest, The Descendants, introduces George Clooney’s character, Matt King. He may be a successful lawyer, a resident of a beautiful Hawaiian island, and about to inherit a fortune once he’s sold off the huge tract of unspoiled land that belongs to he and his cousins, but he’s as awkward and faltering as the leads in About Schmidt and Sideways.

First, Matt’s wife Elizabeth is in a coma following a boating accident.

The Descendants

Guest review by Joe Cronin

Stars: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause | Written by Tom McCarthy, Joe Tiboni | Directed by Tom McCarthy

George Clooney delivers one of his finest performances in this well-balanced drama. Combining a deft delivery of comic moments with a character whose sincerity shines through was never going to be easy but Clooney succeeds with aplomb.

Alexander Payne, arguably best known for cult classics such as Sideways and About Schmidt is a director who divides opinions. Despite being a fan of his work, I’ve watched his films with people who either cry with laughter or are sent to sleep. The Descendants is his first film as a director for seven years and sees him bring together his juxtaposition of black comedy and sincere drama once more and this time will surely find more universal appeal.

The film begins with Matt (George Clooney) staring at his wife,...

The 2011 RopeofSilicon Movie Awards I know the Oscars are still a little over a month away, but for me the RopeofSilicon Awards are the moment I begin putting the old year behind me and truly begin focusing on the new one. This is the fourth year I've done this and to celebrate the year's films I gained inspiration from one of the movie posters I declared one of the best of the year and put together my own poster for just this occasion, taking images from several of 2011's films and creating the collage you see below. The poster is made up of films and performances I enjoyed on one level or another, and while you'll find a couple of duplicates here and there, all-in-all there are 61 films represented and I've included a high resolution version should you want to give it a closer look. How many of the films can you name?...

London, Jan 18: Child actress Amara Miller, who plays George Clooney's daughter in "The Descendants", feels that the actor is not father material.

"Let me just say, he wouldn't be good as a father. He wouldn't be the best as a father. George likes being an adult. George has fun being an adult, and I don't think he would like having kids. I know that he's not planning on having kids anytime soon," Miller said in a statement.

"The Descendants" bagged the Golden Globe for the best motion picture - drama while Clooney got the best actor trophy. The film is about a land baron who tries to reconnect with his two daughters.

Los Angeles, Jan 16: Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" bagged the Golden Globe award in the best motion picture - drama category.

The movie, about a land baron who tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident, features George Clooney, Judy Greer, Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller.

It pipped other nominations in the category - "The Help", "Hugo", "The Ides Of March", "Moneyball" and "War Horse".

Ians...