Main Cast: Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, Richard Harris, Carroll O'Connor, Elizabeth Cole
Release Year: 1966
Country: US
Run Time: 161 minutes
Plot
Hawaii hadn't even begun filming when director Fred Zinnemann was replaced by George Roy Hill; similarly, the role intended for Charlton Heston ended up being played by Richard Harris (though Heston would eventually star in the 1970 sequel, The Hawaiians). Based on James A. Michener's best-selling novel, the time frame of which was spread out over several centuries, the film concentrates only on the years 1820 to 1841. Still, Michener's basic point, that the virginal sanctity of the Hawaiian islands was forever shattered by the incursion of the white man, remains intact. Max Von Sydow stars as Abner Hale, an imperious minister who settles in Hawaii with his wife, Jerusha Bromley Hale (Julie Andrews). While Abner expects the islanders to adapt to him rather than the other way around, Jerusha goes out of her way to understand and appreciate her new neighbors. She eventually seeks comfort in the arms of her former lover Rafer Hoxworth (Richard Harris). Despite the lush location footage and such spectacular highlights as pagan ceremonies and an outsized typhoon, the scene most filmgoers remember is Julie Andrews' agonizingly convincing childbirth sequence. All told, it took seven years to translate Hawaii from script to screen -- and almost that long to make back its 15-million-dollar cost. In the early scenes of Hawaii (the 171-minute version, rather than the 151-minute reissue), Bette Midler plays a bit part as a ship passenger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
One's reaction to Hawaii may depend upon the version one sees, as there are several different cuts readily available -- but in any of its forms, Hawaii is at least a little too long. The James Michener novel on which it is based is itself a lengthy read, but even though the film concentrates on only one section of the novel, it tends to drag on. Adapting the Michener behemoth into a standard motion picture (as opposed to perhaps a television miniseries) was probably an impossible task for any screenwriter, but the work of Dalton Trumbo and Daniel Taradash is immensely disappointing. Both are talented screenwriters, but Hawaii is a turgid melodrama that only hints at their abilities. Director George Roy Hill does not help matters appreciably, pacing things sluggishly and creating action sequences that lack the intended impact. With all this against it, it's surprising that Hawaii is actually pretty good. Credit the excellent cast, with Max von Sydow at his self-righteous and imperious best and Julie Andrews a delight, and especially powerful during the famous childbirth sequence. There's also some scrumptious Russell Harlan lensing of some gorgeous location scenery, some good special effects, and colorful Dorothy Jeakins costumes. None of this makes Hawaii a great drama -- or a shorter one -- but it is diverting. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
James Sullivan - Art Director, Dorothy Jeakins - Costume Designer, George Roy Hill - Director, Stuart Gilmore - Editor, Elmer Bernstein - Composer (Music Score), Mack David - Songwriter, Cary O'Dell - Production Designer, Russell Harlan - Cinematographer, Walter Mirisch - Producer, Raymond Boltz - Set Designer, Edward Boyle - Set Designer, Marshall M. Borden - Special Effects, James B. Gordon - Special Effects, Paul Byrd - Special Effects, Linwood G. Dunn - Special Effects, Daniel Taradash - Screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo - Screenwriter, James Michener - Book Author
The film was based on the book's third chapter From the Farm of Bitterness, which covered the settlement of the island kingdom by its first American missionaries[1].
Needing a Polynesian female for the key role of "Queen Alii Nui of Maui, Malama," the producers hired a native Tahitian for the role. French-speaking Jocelyne LaGarde had never acted before and could not speak English; however, her screen test showed a powerful presence, and the producers hired a coach to train her phonetically to handle the character's dialog. Of the all-star cast, LaGarde would be the only one to earn an Academy Award nomination and the only one to win a Golden Globe Award. The film was also the highest-grossing film of 1966.
Availability of different versions
The film as originally released ran 189 minutes (including overture, intermission, entr'acte, and exit music). This roadshow version would be issued on VHS and LaserDisc from the best available elements. For general release, it was subsequently cut by UA to 162 minutes and is the one on DVD (as the best elements suitable for DVD came from the general release). Both versions have been broadcast on Turner Classic Movies.
Cast
The principal characters in the film were portrayed as follows:
The Future of the Social Studies (1939) •The Voice of Asia (1951) •Rascals in Paradise (1957) •Japanese Prints (1959) •Report of the Country Chairman (1961) •Iberia (1968) •Presidential Lottery (1969) •The Quality of Life (1970) •Kent State: What Happened and Why (1971) •Firstfruits, A Harvest of 25 Years of Israeli Writing (1973) •Sports in America (1976) •About Centennial: Some Notes on the Novel (1978) •United States of America (1982) •Collectors, Forgers - And A Writer: A Memoir (1983) •All We Did Was Fly to the Moon (1985) •Six Days in Havana (1989) •Pilgrimage: A Memoir of Poland and Rome (1990) •The Eagle and The Raven (1990) •My Lost Mexico (1992) •The World is My Home (1992) •Writer's Handbook (1992) •Creatures of the Kingdom (1993) •Literary Reflections (1993) •William Penn (1994) •Ventures in Editing (1995) •Miracle in Seville (1995) •This Noble Land (1996) •A Century of Sonnets (1997)
