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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Smoke blankets Rogue Valley as Stouts fire grows to 8,500 acres ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Missing Jon Stewart ... Ticket Availability ... Smoke blankets Rogue Valley as Stouts fire grows to 8,500 acres ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Missing Jon Stewart ... Ticket Availability ... What is the most Hawaiian movie set in Hawaii? Cameron Crowe's latest, "Aloha," has come under fire for its "whitewashed" portrayal of Hawaii, and it's just the latest in a long list of movies that misrepresent America's 50th state. So what movie does the best job of portraying Hawaii? Comment By Jeff Peterson, Deseret News DailyTidings.com By Jeff Peterson, Deseret News Posted May. 28, 2015 at 4:05 PM By Jeff Peterson, Deseret News Posted May. 28, 2015 at 4:05 PM » Social News Alongside the effects-heavy disaster flick “San Andreas” and a few smaller-budgeted movies, this weekend sees the release of “Aloha,” a star-studded romantic comedy featuring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murray and Alec Baldwin from rom-com auteur Cameron Crowe (“Say Anything,” “Jerry Maguire”). Despite an impressive pedigree, the film has already come under fire from some groups for what they feel is a “whitewashed” depiction of Hawaii that misappropriates indigenous culture. The Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) released a statement (via The Guardian ) saying, “Caucasians only make up 30 percent of the population (of Hawaii), but from watching this film, you’d think they made up 99 percent. This comes in a long line of films — ‘The Descendants,’ ‘50 First Dates,’ ‘Blue Crush,’ ‘Pearl Harbor’ — that uses Hawaii for its exotic backdrop but goes out of its way to exclude the very people who live there. It’s an insult to the diverse culture and fabric of Hawaii.” Another point of criticism has been the title, which some native Hawaiians feel misuses a word sacred to their culture, according to the Los Angeles Times . Hawaii has long been a favorite location for major Hollywood films dating back to 1913. Sometimes, the eight main islands that make up Hawaii are used as stand-ins for other tropical settings. “Jurassic Park” and its upcoming sequel, “Jurassic World,” which are supposed to take place off the coast of Costa Rica, were filmed largely on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Kauai. But frequently, they feature in more prominent roles, as in the films mentioned by MANAA as well as classics like “From Here to Eternity” or the Elvis Presley hit “Blue Hawaii.” However, as State Film Commissioner Dawn Dawson told the Associated Press , "(Hawaiians) have had a century of misrepresentation, of misunderstanding, of miscommunication of who we are. We have fallen prey to the stereotypical ideas … that people have about Hawaii. It's not based in truth and it's not authentic." So what, if any, movie does the best job portraying Hawaii the way it really is? According to Honolulu Magazine , that would be Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch.” In terms of overall “Hawaii authenticity,” Honolulu Magazine’s Lorraine Jonemann rated it 10 out of 10, saying, “Disney’s Hawaii is not the one seen through the lenses of tourists or wanna-be surfers; it’s as close to the real Hawaii as a cartoon about an alien can get. The Kilauea lighthouse, the Princeville Hotel, a shave ice stand, a poster of Duke Kahanamoku hanging in Nani’s bedroom, pidgin-speaking characters— all these details reinforced the Hawaii connection. Lilo’s hula lessons, Nani’s surfing. Disney never lets you forget that you are in Hawai‘i.” Other films mentioned for their authentic representation of Hawaii include “Picture Bride” (9 out of 10), a film about a Japanese immigrant in 1918; and the World War II movie “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (8 out of 10). Of the latter film, Jonemann says, “The bird’s-eye view of pineapple farm workers and mountaintops showed more of Oahu than 2001’s ‘Pearl Habor.’ ” With the recent backlash that Hollywood has gotten over films like "Exodus: Gods and Kings" and now “Aloha,” filmgoers might finally be able to look forward to more accurate representations of other cultures in the movies. And for Hawaii, one potential bright spot on the horizon is actually another Disney movie. Taking a completely different approach to Hawaiian culture than the contemporary-set “Lilo & Stitch,” Disney’s upcoming 56th animated feature, “Moana,” which is scheduled to hit theaters Nov. 23, 2016, looks at the mythology of the Pacific Island cultures, including Hawaii. The film has already cast one of its main characters: as the Hawaiian demigod Maui, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who grew up partly in Hawaii. By Jeff Peterson, Deseret News DailyTidings.com By Jeff Peterson, Deseret News Posted May. 28, 2015 at 4:05 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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