Hawaii (1966)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writers:

James Michener (novel)
Dalton Trumbo (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 October 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

James Michener's novel reaches the screen.

Plot:

Abner Hale, a rigid and humorless New England missionary, marries the beautiful Jerusha Bromley and takes her to the exotic island kingdom of Hawaii...

Plot Keywords:

Hawaii | Missionary | Incest | Loss Of Wife | Fight

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Julie Andrews	...	Jerusha Bromley
Max von Sydow	...	Rev. Abner Hale
Richard Harris	...	Capt. Rafer Hoxworth
Gene Hackman	...	Dr. John Whipple
Carroll O'Connor	...	Charles Bromley
Jocelyne LaGarde	...	Queen Malama
Manu Tupou	...	Keoki
Ted Nobriga	...	Kelolo
Elizabeth Logue	...	Noelani
John Cullum	...	Rev. Immanuel Quigley
George Rose	...	Capt. Janders
Lou Antonio	...	Rev. Abraham Hewlett
Torin Thatcher	...	Rev. Dr. Thorn
Michael Constantine	...	Mason, sailor
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Gideon Hale

Runtime:

189 min | USA:162 min (TCM Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hawaiian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (original roadshow release) | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | USA:Approved | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

Walter Mirisch hired veteran Fred Zinnemann to produce and direct the movie in 1960. Zinnemann brought with him screenwriter Daniel Taradash, as they had already successfully partnered in bringing From Here to Eternity (1953) to the screen. But Taradash was not able to condense the epic book by James Michener, into a workable story. When Mirisch hired Dalton Trumbo to take over the script, Zinnemann - after two more years of development - left the project when United Artists rejected his concept of a 4-hour movie to be shown in two parts.

Goofs:

Continuity: Late in the film, when Hoxworth confronts Reverend Hale outside the church, while the shot is on the Reverend, from behind Hoxworth, there is a bright sun shining on both men; in the reverse shots of Hoxworth, there is no sunshine and the weather is overcast.

Quotes:

[reading from a proclamation to her subjects]
Queen Malama: Next law: Everyone will love Jesus.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Forbidden Flesh (1968)

Soundtrack:

MY WISHING DOLL

Hawaii? The film is magnificent.

From choice of cast to quality of production, this powerful story depicts human beings, of radically different cultures, in all our weakness and all of our soaring nobility. We truly must accept the good with the bad.

Even if you hate aspects of history, it doesn't matter. This motion picture is great theater. Humanity is put on display by gifted actors under gifted direction. The script strikes home because it is so spare and poetic.

It is a pity that of the cast members, Jocelyn LaGarde, who is the perfect alii nui--Queen of the Hawaiians--gets such a skimpy bio. Under her name, all we get is that she'd been six feet in height. What a natural actress! What an open smile! What powerful yet benign reality!

Julie Andrews and Max von Sydow stay deep in their characters. The tragedy of cultures' colliding never ends. On a personal level, we get that eternal conflict again, between the classically female value of compassion and the male value of standards--you know...you must earn your father's love.

What is special must be preserved. Nationhood must live. There is much grist for thought in this sweeping drama.