Hawaii in the Movies

Can this just be my life please?

If you’re a regular around this blog, you know that my dream in life is to move to Hawaii. Alas, I’m stranded in the Canadian wilderness (and by wilderness I mean city) so I have to make due with celluloid sand and surf. Here are my favourite movies set in Hawaii in no particular order:

1. Blue Crush

Sanoe Lake (far right) was born in Kauai, which just hapens to be the island where I plan to live.

I saw Blue Crush when I was 13 and immediately hatched a plan to move to Hawaii after high school. My one regret in life is not doing exactly that. Personal history aside… Blue Crush is part of a rare and elusive movie genre: the feminist chick flick. Also, after watching Kate Bosworth’s stunt double surf giant waves, I like to ask everyone in sight (including cats) the ultimate question, “Do you think you can surf it for real?” DO YOU… DO YOU??? The movie is based on one of the best pieces of travel writing ever.

2. Lilo and Stitch

Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. I have a Stitch stuffed animal. He sits on my bookshelf and looks awesome. My cat has a crush on him. No big deal.

3. 50 First Dates

I know it’s a stupid Adam Sandler movie, but it’s a stupid Adam Sandler movie that makes me makes me cry. Every. Single. Time. She just can’t remember anything…  gah… I want to eat fried Spam at the Hukilau Cafe and make waffle cabins with Drew Barrymore. EVERY MORNING.

4. The Descendants

My favourite movie of all time. So. Damn. Good.

5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

I saw this 5 times in the theatre (I was going through a bad breakup.) Forgetting Sarah Marshall is fucking funny. Mila Kunis is gorgeous. What more do you want?

6. Soul Surfer

Hercules on a surfboard!

This is a super cheesy biopic about Bethany Hamilton, a pro surfer who’s arm was severed in a shark attack when she was 14-ish. Ok… so real-life Bethany Hamilton is probably the toughest person alive, but this movie isn’t exactly good. HOWEVER, you get to see Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid and Hercules himself in the roles of ridiculously tanned parental surf rats. Also… there are some seriously over-emphasized Christian undertones that I find campy and hilarious. And Carrie Underwood (who’s a terrible actor btw) plays a youth minister. What? I know. Come for the scenery, stay for the so-terribly-cheesy-it-circles-back-to-good moment when Bethany realizes God has a plan for her (spoiler alert: God likes it when people get their arms bitten off by sharks.)

Anyways, those are my recommendations for visiting Hawaii from the comfort of your futon. Or couch, if you’re one of those people.

Links…

Tulip trees are BEYOND beautiful.

This is late (on account of it being my blog-aversary this past Thursday, my birthday on Saturday and my anniversary today because everything in my life happens in March.) Also, I totally forgot it was my anniversary until two seconds ago, at which point I yelled “Hey Dude! Happy anniversary!” at Fiancé from across the apartment.

Yes, I call Fiancé “dude” and I forgot our anniversary. Stop judging me.

Here’s What’s Making Me Happy:

This blog is Pisces porn. Gorgeous pictures of waves, water and surfers.

Diego Rivera sealed Frida’s bathroom and closets after her death. They weren’t allowed to be opened for 50 years. Here are some of the photographs that were found.

If you want to learn more about the opening of the rooms and what was found inside, this book is AMAZING. It has photos of every item the historians found, in the locations they were found. All of Frida’s clothes are documented, along with medicine bottles, prosthetics and art.

Speaking of art, look at the masterpiece I created:

P.S. This was taken like 2 seconds after Fiancé proposed. The one on the right is me. Look how awesome my hair was! P.P.S. I have no respect the "special" moments of my relationship.

In unrelated news, Irregular Choice is the weirdest brand ever and I LOVE it, especially the shoes. I want these and these and these and these.

Joy the Baker is hilarious. This is her recipe index. The first category is”booze.” Enough said.

NPR is doing a 3-minute fiction competition. Enter here. Winners will be read on air.

Camels and Chocolate is a great travel blog.

If you ever wanted to learn about Hoodoo, this is the place.

Writers and Kitties is one of my favourite Tumblrs.

I’m addicted to Charlie Rose. The interviews with actors and director are the best. I could watch George Clooney be charming all damn day.

Lastly, this photo made me ridiculously happy:

Kristen Wiig as Frida Kahlo (from W Magazine)

I hope your Monday is extraordinary, just like you!

Magazine Articles to Read Online

via weheartit.com

This is one of the best pieces of magazine writing I’ve ever come across. It inspired the movie Blue Crush and it’s a fantastic look at Hawaiian surf culture and the girls who are raised in it.

This is an interesting article on Frida Kahlo from a feminist website.

This is a National Geographic article on the book/film Into the Wild, about the travels and untimely death of Christopher McCandless. Into the Wild is one of my favourite books EVER.