The Descendants

This came very close to a 5* film for me. It's damn hard to answer why it doesn't qualify as a classic. I guess it all comes down to, what makes a 5* film - what makes a classic? One of the characteristics of a classic(in my opinion) is a movie that warrants repeated viewings - for the purposes of enjoyment rather than understanding(often the two go hand in hand, see; JFK, All the Presidents Men, for example).
Alexander Payne has a history of mixing comedy and drama to great effect. He grounds his characters in the monotonous day-to-day, but manages to give them extraordinary obstacles to overcome. The Descendants is more drama than his previous efforts. The multitude of obstacles extreme, but still grounded  - evoking a great deal of understanding and sympathy from the audience.
Clooney is fantastic in the roll of Mike. It's been interesting to see Clooney evolve as an actor - from beloved soap star to fully-fledged movie star. This film, as was the case with Solaris, O Brother and Syriana, has the actor move away from the star-light and delve deep into character. If he continues in this vein, there's no doubt he'll be remembered as one of the greats!
Clooney's supporting cast are terrific also and Hawaii has never looked so normal or so beautiful!
For all those surfers out there, there's a short appearance by Laird Hamilton! Once again he's playing the asshole of the piece(as he did in the classic, North Shore) - much less of a caricature this time, I hasten to add!
This very good tender tale comes highly recommended - 4/5!