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Synopsis:
An orphaned Hawaiian girl named Lilo (Daveigh Chase) adopts a strange-looking “dog”, Stitch (Chris Sanders), from the pound, not realizing that he’s an alien experiment on the lam. Unfortunately, Stitch causes havoc wherever he goes, and makes life difficult for Lilo’s older sister Nani (Tia Carrere), who is trying desperately to convince social worker Cobra Bubbles (Ving Rhames) that she is capable of raising Lilo on her own.
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Genres:
- Aliens
- Animated Features
- Character Arc
- Fugitives
- Misfits
- Orphans
- Pets
- Raising Kids
- Siblings
Review:
This most unusual Disney film has received its fair share of scathing reviews, with James Berardinelli of Reel Views calling it “easily Disney’s worst animated feature since before The Black Cauldron“, and Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle referring to it as “tiresome”. Others, however, agree with me that it’s a remarkably enjoyable, respectful fantasy — one which expertly mixes heartbreaking social drama with droll humor and far-out adventure. As noted by Roger Ebert, it’s “funny, sassy, startling, [and] original”, with “as much stuff in it for grown-ups as for kids.”
Lilo and Stitch’s most noticeable feature is its inspired setting — a Hawaiian island on which natural-looking locals (with brown skin, broad noses, and less-than-svelte bodies) eke out a living amongst overweight, sunburnt tourists (how often do we get to see Hawaii from this perspective?). Equally refreshing is screenwriter Chris Sanders’ no-holds-barred depiction of a “broken family”, with Lilo and Nani realistically demonstrating both love and exasperation with one another (I love when Lilo yells at Nani, “You rotten sister, your butt is crushing me! Why do you act so weird?!”). While some critics have labeled Lilo merely a spoiled brat (Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly refers to her as a “temperamental Hawaiian girl who’s the whiniest of whiny brats”), this designation fails to acknowledge Lilo’s difficult situation: what child wouldn’t react dramatically upon the sudden death of both parents? To this end, while Gleiberman complains that there’s no realistic connection between Lilo and Stitch, I think their relationship is perfectly realized: Lilo has finally come upon a creature more squirrelly than herself, and is — fortunately — able to sublimate her frustration into a noble attempt to “tame” Stitch.
Lilo and Stitch is full of countless memorable, true-to-life moments. One of my favorite small exchanges in the film takes place in the pound, when Lilo insists on paying the two dollars for Stitch herself; Nani — with quiet resignation — gives Lilo the money, only to take it right back from her and hand it to the clerk. Other scenes are more bizarre but equally humorous — such as Lilo’s repeated attempts to turn Stitch into a fellow Elvis-phile. While the sequences between Stitch’s alien captors (often parodying Men in Black) aren’t quite as brilliant, they nonetheless retain the film’s quirky edge, and are perfectly suited to the far-out story. Lilo and Stitch merits repeat viewings in order to notice and enjoy its many inspired qualities, and is certainly a modern “must see” for film fanatics.
Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
- Believable rapport between the two sisters
- A refreshing story about a “broken”, non-white family doing its best to survive
- Nani’s initial encounter with Bubbles at her front door
- Lilo insisting on paying the two dollars at the pound herself
- Stitch creating and then destroying a model city of San Francisco in Lilo’s bedroom
- Stitch trying in vain to create a sandcastle like Lilo’s
- Agent Pleakley’s misguided notion that mosquitoes are an endangered species on Earth
- Lilo discovering that Stitch can act as a record player
- Countless hilarious one-liners:
- “Oh, good — my dog found the chainsaw!”
- “Thus far you have been adrift in the sheltered harbor of my patience…”
- “No! That’s from my blue period!”
- Lovely watercolor animation
- Chris Sanders’ smart, respectful script
Why is This a Must See Film?
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