It doesn’t open until Friday, but the new movie “Aloha” is already garnering some negative reviews.
Some Native Hawaiians say the very title of the Cameron Crowe film, which is set in Hawaii, is “a disrespectful misappropriation of culture and simplifies a word that’s rich with meaning.”
Meanwhile, some Asian-Americans say the flick “whitewashes” Hawaii because it has “an all white leading cast and uses Asian actors mostly in non-speaking roles.”
“Aloha” stars Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams and Emma Stone, with other roles filled by Alec Baldwin and Bill Murray.
It’s pointed out that “Aloha” joins a long line of films — e.g., “The Descendants,” “50 First Dates,” “Blue Crush,” “Pearl Harbor” — that fall short in accurately reflecting Hawaii’s demographics. Hawaii’s white population is about 25-30 percent white.
Here’s the trailer for “Aloha.” Judge for yourself:
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About the Author
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Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB.