Released in June 2002,Lilo & Stitch, as a film, was much like its title characters — an outsider in the Disney canon. It was an original idea that merged science fiction with a contemporary set drama about sisters on the verge of being separated by child protective services. It had a smaller budget and scale than previous Disney animated films, and was even done by a smaller animated team. However, the finished product,a gorgeous blend of hand-drawn animation, water-painted backgrounds, and CGI to give some of the sci-fi elements an alien element, turned out to be a timeless Disney classic.
With a live-action remake on the horizon, it might be difficult to remember just how greatLilo & Stitchwas. It was a movie of its moment, but ahead of its time; it was tapping into a cultural zeitgeist that would inform future Disney animated films and the wider motion picture genre.
A Story of Redemption
At the heart ofLilo & Stitchis, of course, the lovable blue alien known previously as Experiment 626.Lilo & Stitchis very much aspin on theE.T. The Extraterrestrialstoryline; however, unlike other similar kid-finds-a-cute-visitor-from-another-world stories, Stitch is undoubtedly a threat from the get-go.He never harms Lilo, but the movie doesn’t downplay his destructive tendencies. He is a weapon of war, designed for only one purpose. He does start the film “bad.”
Yet Stitch’s interactions with Lilo cause him to change for the better. Audiences empathize with Stitch early on, even before he changes because of Lilo. Lilo doesn’t see Stitch as bad.Where others see a monster, she sees someone who just needs love, and through that compassion, Stitch grows beyond his destructive nature to become something more. By the film’s end, Stitch is no longer a weapon of mass destruction but a lovable part of a family, one of his choosing.
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Stitch’s journey of redemption stood out from the rest of the Disney Animated films at the time.Disney’s lead protagonists were typically morally right, with clear lines drawn between hero and villain. Even characters that blurred that line, like the thief Aladdin or the truly grumpy Beast, could still be classified as “good.” Stitch, on the other hand, begins the movie as dangerous but ends the film as one of Disney’s best heroes. It is a great message about how it is never too late to change, and even someone who is considered “bad” can be vulnerable and have it in them to be better.
The Movie for Outsiders
Being an original concept and a sci-fi story,Lilo & Stitchstood apart from the classic idea of what a Disney animated film could be. Disney realized they had something special on their hands, though, as the first early marketing emphasized how different Stitch was from the rest of the Disney canon by having him crash beloved scenes from the Disney Renaissance era.Stitch, both the character and the movie, had a bit of an anarchistic quality, being seen as a rebel within the Disney library. If the other films were classical music,Lilo & Stitchwas rock ‘n’ roll (makingthe film’s use of Elvis musiceven more appropriate).
There is a reason that Stitch is one of Disney’s most merchandisable characters, because he appeals to a wide age range. Stitch himself is designed to be weird. He is meant to be gross, but in his own words, “also cute and fluffy.“He doesn’t look like the traditional Disney characters, but that unique and slightly off element to his design has made him so appealing. He has become such a marketable character because audiences have gravitated towards him as a reflection of not needing to fit in.
The same goes for Lilo, whose wise-beyond-her-years personality makes her an outsider among most kids her own age, but makes her enduring and a character that reminds children they don’t need to be like everyone else to be loved. While likely not intentional, the depiction of Pleakley wearing women’s clothing has drawn praise from the LGBTQ+ crowd as a positive representation of trans rights, one thatDisney would be afraid to touch now,as evident by the fact that the upcoming remake removes this key character detail.Lilo & Stitchwas a Disney Animated film that appeals to those who might not feel like they fit in, which everyone has at some point, and reminds them that everyone has a place where they belong.
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Say “Ohana” to any millennial, and they will likely finish it with the phrase, “Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” It is the overriding theme of Lilo & Stitch that a family is bound not just by blood but also by love. Despite being created lightyears away for destruction, Stitch’s true purpose is to be with Lilo and Nani as part of their family. For all the fun sci-fi antics,Lilo & Stitchhas a serious human story: Lilo and Nani are dealing with the loss of their parents and the potential of being separated. Stitch points out, “This is my family. I found it all on my own. It’s little and broken, but still good. Yeah. Still good”
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With wonderfully realized characters, gorgeous animation, and a heartfelt story that can still tear up any grownup’s eyes,Lilo & Stitchis one of Disney Animation’s most influential and best animated films. It deserves to be mentioned in the same company asBeauty and the Beast,Frozen,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,Fantasia, andThe Lion King.
