‘Lilo and Stitch’ backlash reveals how little U.S. understands Hawaii

https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/lilo-stitch-ending-hawaiian-cultural-practice-20349307.php

27 comments

  1. What’s insane is that they already got it mostly right the first time.

  2. So wait, hold up, a white person on Tumblr blew a scene out of proportion from a movie, did not give full context to a scene, and inveratvly got something wrong about an indigenous culture and their practices that they claimed thought they knew about, and it caused a backlash. Who could have guessed

  3. Nani never giving up on keeping Lilo by her side in the original kind of gave me a sense of purpose as a big sister with my own little sibling. I understand that apparently I don’t know about this foster ceremony in Hawaiian culture, but the change in the ending still disappoints me as a big sister who always looked up to Nani as incredibly resilient.

  4. Upside, there is a really good version of this movie. It’s called Lilo & Stitch released in 2002.

  5. Regardless of what ever backpedaling is required to make this new scene somehow legitimate, it’s not in the spirit and idea of the original movie. Besides, where was this ‘family’ when they were first orphaned? Regardless of who the caretaker is, is the state involved with her care?

  6. Thought the title was funny.
    Hawaii *is* the US, though.

    But I get what they mean.

  7. I was hoping the neighbor had a business (grounded in something with Hawaiian tradition) and during the film they drop hints she’s ready to retire. (Carrying too many bags uphill. Closing up shop late. Showing hands hurting doing finances).

    And at the end she says something like “maybe it’s time for someone younger to take over…” or “this place could use some (insert Hawaiian term)…”

    And the end credits is a photo montage of Nani, Lilo, and Stitch all working behind the counter and taking deliveries. Like Lilo painting a sandwich board from the top and stitch from the bottom and it’s a random (yet creative) result.

    Stitch serving customers and smiling with crayon teeth.

    Nani getting sprayed with the water while Lilo laughing.

    And all of them in hula skirts.

    Finishing with

    “STITCH WILL RETURN” (jk)

  9. You mean the writers and directors and the execs who approved this piece of shit. The original was fucking fine. It made sense, it was true to the culture. The live action version is an abomination.

  10. The backlash suggests the opposite. People are aware of the pain of colonization. The producers and executives are the ones that are apathetic and willfully hurtful.

  11. Putting all of US in with Disney corps in suits making decisions almost all agree were awful, is not correct.

  12. I would love for them to just halt every one of these live action remakes and just reinvest in their 2d animation again. One can dream.

  14. As someone from Hawaii, the 2002 movie was pretty spot on

    Haven’t seen the remake yet

  15. Much simpler explanation in my opinion: the kids who watched the earlier movie are grown up and graduating now. It’s a marketing twist to tug at those heartstrings.

  16. Does the author think that Hawaii is not part of the US?

  19. I mean the last paragraph shows what the real problem is: “While Disney could have handled the transition of Lilo to her hanai family more smoothly, as **not everyone seems to understand that Tutu is not just a neighbor** but part of their collective ohana.”

    It’s poorly written by *Disney* so audiences aren’t even able to discern the authentic message it should be conveying. Could audiences be smarter? Sure, but there’s a reason that the original was far more explicit at explaining the central theme which may have been unfamiliar to audiences at the time.

  20. Haven’t seen the movie yet. My guess it they didn’t consult enough authentic Hawaiians/have them involved in the making of the film

  21. Let us not forget how much they promoted their own Hawaiian resort within the movie.

  22. I may be in the minority here but I thought the remake was a better movie. The scenes where they try to re-create it shot for shot were bad, but the live action sequences on earth were better. The dynamic between Nani and Lilo was better, and it still shows the absolute strength and devastation Nani has, being just a kid herself.

  23. Taking my little girl to see it this weekend. Pretty sure she won’t give half a shit about any of this, but is very excited to see Stitch misbehave and make funny noises.

  24. It’s amazing how everyone cares so much about something that they only think about specifically when someone mentions it. You’re an adult now. The original is right there if you want to watch it. Y’all are impudent and entitled.

  26. I still find it strange that a 19 year old should play mother for her younger sister. In a cartoon movie whatever but if we do it in a real world setting, maybe we can make it a bit more realistic?

  27. “Writers blame audiences for poorly received movie after they change crucial story elements in a remake film”

    It’s fine that is it maybe culturally appropriate. But it also *changes the story they are telling.* This was apparently a supposed to be a live action style remake of an existing story; not a reimagining of the Lilo and Stitch concept of family with a contrary-to-the-story yet nevertheless maybe more Hawaiian lens.

    I pray they run out of remakes to remake.

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