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The Descendants

2011 · directed by Alexander Payne · 115 min
23,334 feet · Prominence
1,208th of 24,106 films scored
Not coveredNo Rewatchables episode on file.

How this film scores

Draw63

Lifetime worldwide gross $177m, re-releases included; about $260m in 2026 money.

Rank1,332 of 11,051In 201139 of 304

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise92

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics86 baseAwards88 signal → +6 lift

Oscars1 won Adapted Screenplay4 nominated Picture, Director, Actor, Film Editing
Golden Globes2 won Best Picture, Actor2 nominated Supporting Actress, Screenplay
BAFTAs3 nominated Film, Lead acting, Adapted Screenplay
How Praise works

Critics set the score; a tiered award record, Picture and Directing carrying the most weight, claims half the headroom above it. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy35

Judged directly: Well regarded, now faded.

Verdict35 of 100IMDb7.3 from 259kWikipedia43k views a monthAge15 years

Scored beside it · 2,043 of 4,039 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 63 praise 92 legacy 35averages 63, placing it at23,334 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

In these careers — elevation for this film

George Clooney20,102 ftShailene Woodley19,437 ftMatthew Lillard17,650 ftJudy Greer17,645 ftBeau Bridges17,644 ftMichael Ontkean17,633 ft