As a child —and sometimes nonetheless as an grownup— I at all times recognized with the music-loving, fish-whispering, button-pushing younger hero Lilo Pelekai. I made pals out of scraps of fabric, irritated my older sister, and had a very obnoxious canine to maintain me firm. It’s price wanting again on what makes Lilo in Lilo & Stitch so endearing, and the way she paved the best way for extra outspoken, unconventional feminine protagonists. Beyond being a delightfully morbid and inventive outcast, Lilo is resilient, decided, and dependable, exhibiting audiences younger and outdated that we should be beloved due to —not regardless of— the issues that make us particular.
First off, no one can deny that Lilo has an enormous coronary heart. She dances via life with the sort of wonderment that youngsters possess and adults envy, seeing the sweetness in each bikini-clad vacationer on the seaside and making needs on falling stars. She loves fiercely and cares deeply, which we are able to see via her relationship with older sister Nani, and her steady makes an attempt to attach with the “friends” that ostracize her. At the tip of the day, Lilo simply needs to hula, play dolls, and rock out to Elvis with the individuals she cares about.
However, like several good character, Lilo additionally has some unfavorable traits. She’s offended and impulsive, having a bent to chunk first and ask questions later. Her frustration usually comes from feeling misunderstood, and sometimes factors to her intense loneliness and want to really feel linked with others whereas grieving the lack of her mother and father. This duality is probably greatest proven in her first scene within the film when one minute she’s hand-delivering a fish a peanut butter sandwich, and the subsequent she’s punching Mertle within the face at hula apply. Like any child working to determine themselves out, Lilo struggles to reconcile all of the totally different elements of herself. She desperately needs to slot in together with her friends however refuses to alter who she is so as to take action.
Lilo and Stitch Are Two Hot-Heads With Abandonment Issues
For these causes, it is smart that the angel she needs for comes within the type of a six-limbed alien tyrant with a rage drawback. She names him Stitch, and so begins essentially the most weird and cute buddy comedy you’ve ever seen. Two hot-heads with abandonment points, Lilo and Stitch each tend to make issues worse even once they have the perfect intentions. For instance, as Nani frantically job hunts across the island, Lilo tries to show Stitch tips on how to be a mannequin citizen, and the pair leaves a small path of destruction of their wake. They demolish fruit stands, scare outdated girls, and wreak havoc on the seaside.
Even as she makes a multitude, by watching Lilo try to combine Stitch into society, we see her perception within the good and want to assist others. We can even see a younger woman sensible past her years, as Lilo and Nani battle to maintain their tiny household collectively whereas well-meaning social employee Cobra Bubbles threatens to separate them. At first, Stitch solely sticks with Lilo to keep away from seize by his fellow aliens, actually utilizing her as a human protect. However, because the pair continues to develop their friendship, they each discover the sense of belonging they’ve been craving for and study that, typically, the individuals you’re keen on stick round.
Lilo Embraces Her Weirdness and Breaks Traditional Molds
Finally, very similar to Stitch, Lilo is an plain weirdo —a time period I exploit solely with the utmost respect. She practices pickle jar voodoo and believes that Pudge the fish controls the climate, taking the doe-eyed Disney-girl mould set out for her and crushing it in a meaty, clenched fist. In the years since Lilo & Stitch, Disney has additional embraced the ability of unpolished and headstrong women, from Brave’s underrated Merida to Moana. While these characters are removed from excellent, they’re unbiased, complicated, and like Lilo, dance to the beat of their very own drum. Most importantly, they’re additionally kind-hearted, even when typically that coronary heart is hiding behind a steely exterior. By permitting these women to be messy and multidimensional, we get a brand new era of characters that present children that it’s okay to be totally different.
As everyone knows, not all media ages effectively. However, even after twenty years, Lilo & Stitch endures the take a look at of time. This film serves as an important exploration of grief and friendship, telling a sophisticated and exquisite story via the eyes of an equally difficult and exquisite younger protagonist. By telling Lilo’s story in all her wacky, Elvis-loving glory, the filmmakers confirmed audiences that while you discover the precise individuals, you’ll by no means need to doubt that you just belong.