(Editor’s Note: Columns often contain opinions that are those of the author.)
Ohana means family.
It means this in Hawaiian culture and is central to the original animated “Lilo and Stitch” film, which will be shown at the Miller Theater at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, as part of its film series.
But according to several online sources, “ohana” also includes more than just immediate family. It can include all biological family members and even friends and others who one considers to be family.
In the film, the little Hawaiian girl Lilo is taken care of by her big sister after the loss of their mother and father in a car accident. She tells the little blue alien Stitch, who enters her life in not-so-fortuitous circumstances, that, “Ohana means family, and no one leaves family behind.”
Genetically created to be a killing machine and escaping to Earth, it takes Stitch a long time to process this. And you can chart his progress or lack thereof when you watch the film.
But one of the biggest real-life examples I saw of this was when a third or fourth grader in an outdoor education program where I taught in Massachusetts did something most of the fifth through eighth graders who rotated in and out of the program probably would not have done. He brought along his plush Stitch. Some of the older ones too caught up in trying to grow up too fast may have feared bullying.
And the reason the sensitive child brought the Stitch plush became apparent to those with whom he spoke. The boy whose blue eyes matched Stitch’s was an orphan. He brought along Stitch because he identified with his predicament, seeking a new family after leaving the only world he had ever known behind. (When we found this out, quite a few of us were chopping the proverbial onions in the campsite cafeteria.) The orphan boy wanted to find “ohana.” He never wanted to be left behind again. And Stitch symbolized this for him.
The adopted young man could be a bit of a problem child, yet we understood him better when we saw with whom he identified. After all, not only does Lilo’s adoption by her sister figure into the film but the adoption of Stitch does, too.
After all, Stitch is a problem child and even tries to blend in at first as a near-feral rescue dog, managing to get chosen by Lilo – much to her practical sister’s chagrin.
And this rescue dog act he does reminds me of something else – Corgis. I have owned two in my life, and my current one, Moochie, especially acts like the mischievous Stitch. Like many Corgis, Moochie has the pointy, expressive ears and stubby legs like Stitch the alien. And he likes to attack a lot of things and eat a lot. Not much difference there. And the cuteness factor figures in as well – once you get past some Corgis’ moments of chaos. So, I think Corgi lovers or dog lovers in general will have much to appreciate from a rewatching of this animated film which led us into the early part of the new millennium.
Thinking of the film, I also remember all the Elvis songs in the soundtrack. Like my late Aunt Brenda Baxley, who played his music quite often, Lilo plays Elvis 45s on a little record player in her room, and these songs also move some of the action forward later in the movie. One montage with “(You’re the) Devil in Disguise” playing behind it shows Stitch following Lilo’s advice. Like a mischievous, untrained Corgi, he never can get it quite right. But he is still endearing. All of this culminates in a hilarious scene where he is actually dressed as Elvis, and people seem to think he is Elvis returned or that never left. The hammy (or bacon-y) qualities of the performance coupled with a just bananas approach with some (peanut butter) nuttiness with his Elvis outfit combined definitely make Stitch “An Elvis”. Whether he pulls off being a tribute artist or celebrity impersonator, I will leave to the audience.
Not only do you have the Elvis songs to enjoy with Lilo’s and Stitch’s adventures in the film, you also have some songs from a Hawaiian lyricist Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu with soundtrack composer Alan Silvestri. By Ho’omalu, Hawaiian words are incorporated in the quick moving “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” song – a song which celebrates surfing.
He performs it with the innocent, joyful Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus. Families with children are sure to enjoy the song as are those young adults who are nostalgic about when the animated film was first released. Ho’omalu’s “He Mele No Lilo” is a song for a traditional Hawaiian dance, and the cultural aspects of it made the film more enjoyable for me when I first saw it years ago.
Another aspect of this film that appeals to me is the fantastic use of science fiction elements. Like many modern sci-fi films, the movie does not get too bogged down in the technical details. Instead, the director chose to have a lot of unexplained, pre-existing tech, which was easy to do when using another galaxy like George Lucas did with “Star Wars.”
When Stitch makes the self-firing guns turn on those around him and uses their tech against them, it seems plausible without being overexplained. The ships which can blast into light speed are not over-discussed either. As one who prefers the satirical science fiction genre or science fiction that is more like fantasy, this animated film appealed to me. It may not appeal to those who like the hard science fiction (genre, not difficulty) of Isaac Asimov. If one is into technical details, perhaps a children’s or family movie may not be the best choice anyway.
Finally, having worked in a children’s literacy organization for two years and having been an educator for 15 years in various capacities, another aspect of the film that appealed to me was the watercolor backgrounds painted in the animation cells. I think it gave the film a storybook aspect which I enjoyed immensely. And this was one of the reasons I chose watercolor for my fantasy, Corgi graphic novel series. Using it instantly makes something more fantastical, whimsical, and child-like.
Admire the watercolor backgrounds of hand-drawn animation, enjoy the antics of a mischievous Corgi-like alien, cheer, cry, and jeer about his interactions (flawed yet sometimes telling and showing progress), and, most of all, make sure nobody gets left behind in your ohana when you go to see “Lilo and Stitch” a week from this Sunday on Aug. 17.
South Carolina author, former teacher and veteran journalist Ron Baxley, Jr. is a social media manager working on a Southern television series. His latest novel, “O.Z. Diggs the Fifth Estate” is available in regional comics shops, bookstores, and gift shops. Reach him at ronbaxleyjr.com.
