Netflix adventure 'Finding 'Ohana' highlights importance of family, sacrificial love
Following a tumultuous year, “Finding 'Ohana” — the new "Goodies"-inspired adventure from Netflix — provides a heartwarming reprieve, highlighting the importance of family, friendship, and sacrifice.
Hitting the streaming service Jan. 29, “Finding 'Ohana” opens in New York City, where 12-year-old Pilialoha “Pili” Kawena (Kea Peahu) is looking forward to spending a perfect summer vacation at a geocache camp in the Catskills.
However, her hopes are soon dashed when she, along with her mother Leilani (Kelly Hu) and teenage brother Ioane (Alex Aiono) are forced to relocate to Oahu, Hawaii, to care for her ailing and stubborn grandfather.
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There, Pili discovers a mysterious journal containing clues to a 200-year-old treasure with connections to her family. Excited for a new adventure, Pili sets off to find the treasure with the help of her reluctant brother and their new friends Hana (Lindsay Watson) and Casper (Owen Vaccaro).
Though full of humor, adventure, and riveting action sequences, “Finding 'Ohana” — “'ohana” is the Hawaiian word for “family” — includes heartwarming lessons surrounding identity and familial relationships. Sacrificial love and giving up personal comfort for the benefit of the wider community are themes steadily woven throughout the film.
Watch Kea Peahu and Owen Vaccaro discuss "Finding 'Ohana" with The Christian Post.
“It’s a crucial message that I think we all need to hear, especially dealing with coronavirus, and how we're all very separated and far away from each other and all these crazy things that are happening throughout the entire world,” Vaccaro told The Christian Post.
The film also gently examines difficult emotions — including loss, death, and regret — to remind viewers what is really important in life. Pili and Ioane’s father is a deceased Army veteran whose absence is felt deeply by the entire family.
“I feel like this movie really shines a light on ... the importance of loving your family, and your family doesn't just have to be related by blood. [They] could be related by your friendships, and really just the people who you care about. I'm really happy to have been a part of a movie that displays such an important message in such an important time,” Vaccaro said.
At the beginning of the film, it’s clear that Pili and Ioane have a fractured relationship. An aspiring musician, Ioane has little time for his annoying younger sister. Frustrated by her brother’s “too cool” attitude, Pili takes every opportunity to badger him.
Yet, the siblings are forced to work together to find the treasure, bringing them closer together and strengthening their bond.
“It's a story that a lot of us really go through in our lives,” Aiono told CP. “Sometimes we lose sight of things that are important, or sometimes we don't understand the true quality of something that's actually really important and meaningful to us. In this case, it's me and my family.”
Aiono, himself a talented singer-songwriter, said that tapping into the role helped him appreciate his own family.
“While I was acting as if I hated my family, they're the most important people to me by the end of this film,” he continued. “Even though I have an incredible relationship with my family in real life, getting to go through that process really inspired me to draw closer to them. Luckily, we finished filming right before the holiday season, and so I got to really spend that time and really learn to love and embrace what was so important to me.”
Watch Alex Aiono and Lindsay Watson discuss Finding 'Ohana'
“Finding 'Ohana” also celebrates Hawaiian culture and captures the region’s incredible beauty, from its lush landscapes to intricate cave interiors. Hana, the film’s level-headed moral compass, encourages her peers to embrace and appreciate their rich heritage.
“The sense of how [Hana] loves her culture was a huge thing that was pushed throughout this film,” Watson, herself a native of Hawaii, told CP. “ I like to think of her as the educator throughout this film and kind of the moral compass. She always tried to make sure that the group was doing the right thing, whether it was the easiest thing to do or not.”
“Finding 'Ohana” does include some pagan elements, including Hawaiian mysticism and the belief that the dead become spirits who become part of the Earth. It’s rated PG for language, crude references, adventure action, and some suggestive comments.
But with its gentle handling of family dynamics, riveting action scenes, and sweeping shots of Hawaii, “Finding 'Ohana” is a fun and engaging watch, reminiscent of the '80s adventure films of yore.
“Finding ‘Ohana” is now available to stream on Netflix. It runs for 123 minutes.
