Pixar’s short ‘Lava’ tells isle-inspired love story

One of this summer’s feel-good films is a seven-minute animated short that was inspired by Hawaii and features a softly strummed Kamaka ukulele, a pair of Hawaiian singers and a volcano that’s supposed to look a bit like Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole.

But you won’t see Hawaii in Pixar’s "Lava," which opens in theaters Friday as a companion to the full-length animated feature "Inside Out." When it comes to location, the film from writer/director James Ford Murphy is fictional. Murphy was more interested in capturing the spirit of the islands — his favorite place in the world, he said.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself to get it right," he said in a phone call from his home in Sonoma, Calif.

"Lava" shouldn’t be confused with this summer’s other Hawaii-inspired film, the much-maligned "Aloha" from director Cameron Crowe. Not only was "Aloha" set in Hawaii, it featured a Hawaii story, Hawaiian characters and a title that tapped the most-often used Hawaiian word.

The only thing overtly Hawaiian in "Lava," Murphy said, is a single word in its lyrics: aloha.

"I see it as a very different film," he said.

And it is.

"Lava" is the story of Uku, a volcano longing for another volcano to love. Murphy wrote the music and lyrics, which were sung by Hilo’s Kuana Torres Kahele and Maui’s Napua Greig while the director played his ukulele.

"I tried to pour my heart and soul into it," Murphy said. "I started off with a bunch of different inspirations — Hawaii, Hawaiian music — and the more I learned about the land and the culture and the music, the more I became engrossed in how much I loved it and the more responsibility I felt to get this feeling of aloha in this short."

Murphy’s connection to Hawaii started more than 25 years ago when he and his wife, Kathy, honeymooned on the Big Island. He fell in love with the tropical beauty he found, the volcanoes and Hawaiian music.

Preview screenings of the short have been enthusiastically received, including screenings in April on Lanai, where Murphy also joined Kahele to perform the music of "Lava." Murphy screened the film for Lanai schoolchildren and also hosted two free public screenings. He went home with new friendships and a palm frond hat given to him by a Lanai resident.

"That’s going to be a family heirloom now," he said. "It was awesome. I love stuff like that."

"Lava" was Murphy’s directorial debut but he’s no newcomer. Murphy has worked on a variety of animated hits, including the Oscar-winning "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille."

He had so much fun making "Lava" that he wouldn’t rule out a longer animated feature set in Hawaii.

"‘Lava’ was a love affair with Hawaii," Murphy said. "I fell in love with so many little ideas and I let them take me and there is a lot of fun with that, to go with your heart."