We gravitate to what’s new and different, so you’ll read a lot about a star in the making named Shailene Woodley in The Descendants. But make no mistake: This is in almost every way George Clooney’s film. Directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways), The Descendants delves into forgiveness across generations. Woodley plays Clooney’s hellion daughter, but as a man trying to cope with pulling the plug on his wife and dealing with the impending loss of his family’s ancestral land in Kauai, Clooney once again delivers one of those patented leading-man performances that few actors dare try anymore. He isn’t a recovering addict; he isn’t disabled; and he’s not world-famous. He doesn’t even have George Clooney’s charisma. He’s just a guy figuring out how to take the next step, even though he just wants to take a couple of steps back.