“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” Except when they do, Dean Fleischer Camp says in his defense of the ending of the live-action “Lilo & Stitch.”
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the live-action “Lilo & Stitch.”
Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Director Responds to Criticism
Variety asked Fleischer Camp, who directed the remake, to address reactions to the divisive ending, in which (spoiler alert) Nani gives up custody of Lilo to David and Tūtū (David’s grandmother and neighbor of Nani and Lilo) so she can study marine biology at the University of California. The film also leaves out Captain Gantu, with Jumba acting as the villain throughout with no redemption arc, among several other changes.
“When you adapt something,” Variety asked, “whether it’s from a book or even an animated feature, there’s always a challenge in what gets left in and what gets changed. And so, the internet has had its opinion of the ending. Can you address your decision behind changing the ending?”
Fleischer Camp replied, “I’ve had some time to think about this. I do think that a fair amount of the people who are dunking on that premise have not actually seen the movie, and they write me stuff that is clearly wrong. They get the beats of the story wrong. But when you see it doesn’t feel that way at all, and you see the intent of the actual filmmaking.”
He continued, “There are two larger conversations going on that led us towards that ending. We wanted to expand the meaning of ohana, and ground it in traditional Hawaiian values of collectivism, extended family and community. Chris [Kekaniokalani Bright, co-writer of the screenplay], who’s Hawaiian, made a really important observation about the original early on in our discussions. He didn’t buy that the two orphan sisters would just be left to fend for themselves. He said, ‘Neighbors, church groups, aunties and uncles, all these people would step in. That’s just the Hawaii I know and grew up in.’ That led him to create this character of Tutu, and she ultimately takes Lilo in as hanai, which is this culturally specific term and tradition that is a form of informal adoption. It isn’t about blood or paperwork, but love and responsibility for the greater good and for one’s community. A lot of Hawaiians who’ve seen the film have picked up on that reference to hanai, and they love that. It’s this uniquely Hawaiian answer to the question of who shows up when things fall apart, and that idea of informal adoption. It shows the broader community’s willingness to sacrifice and do whatever it takes for these girls and for their ohana. I think you can’t satisfy everyone with these remakes. You are treading on hallowed ground when you make one of these, because these are films people grew up with, and I’m one of them, and I totally understand it.”
“But we didn’t want to just restage the beats of the original film, as much as we both loved it. We wanted to tell a story that’s honest about what it means to lose everything and still find a way forward. People do get left behind, like what Nani says, this is, and it’s incumbent upon the community to make sure that they aren’t forgotten.”
Before the remake, Fleischer Camp was most known for directing “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” a 2021 film based on a series of shorts created by him and Jenny Slate. He also directed the 2016 conceptual documentary “Fraud.”
Despite its controversial changes, the live-action “Lilo & Stitch” has been a box office success. As of June 22, it has grossed $910 million worldwide. In part thanks to this success, Disney is leading the domestic box office this year.
Variety also asked Fleischer Camp, “Why do you think this film resonated with audiences in the way it has?”
“The original movie came out at the perfect time,” he said. “It didn’t look like anything else Disney had made. It felt so grounded, specific and real in a way. It differed from other Disney movies because it didn’t take place in a fairy tale kingdom and didn’t feature princesses.”
“Stitch also has this unusual depth of emotion to him. I always related him to Marcel, a little bit in that way where it felt like these are both unusual protagonists who are trying to make their way in this world that wasn’t made for them. They’re funny and cute, but have this deep well of sadness and emotion, and everyone can relate to that. Everyone can also relate to Stitch, who’s this chaos goblin built for destruction, and is someone who’s reckoning with the fact that, ‘Oh my gosh, I break everything I touch, even when my heart’s in the right place.'”
Variety asked Fleischer Camp if he would consider making a sequel, to which he replied, “If it was the right idea. I wouldn’t do it just because there’s a new market demand for it. But I also really like the idea of doing an animated spin-off as an episodic or limited series.”
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