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1. Crowe’s ‘Aloha’ earns unwelcome reception
When Oscar-winning director Cameron Crowe addressed a Los Angeles audience at an advance screening of his film “Aloha” in May, he called it “a love letter” to Hawaii. But public reaction to the film, which was shot in Hawaii, was anything but love: Native Hawaiians and others complained about the way they were portrayed in the film.
Critics objected to Crowe’s use of the word “aloha,” saying it was a disrespectful misappropriation of culture that oversimplified its meaning. Even state Film Commissioner Donne Dawson said it was a poor choice.
Also drawing scorn was the casting of actress Emma Stone as a part-Hawaiian-Chinese fighter pilot named Allison Ng. She was knocked for being “too Caucasian” for the role and mangling pronunciation of some Hawaiian words.
Less than a week after its theatrical debut, Crowe apologized to fans on his blog, The Uncool. “I have heard your words and your disappointment, and I offer you a heartfelt apology to all who felt this was an odd or misguided casting choice,” he said.
Audiences and critics also showed no aloha for “Aloha,”which cost an estimated $37 million and earned only $26 million. Forbes magazine called it one of the biggest flops of the year.
— Mike Gordon
2. Borges hits high note, shares dire diagnosis
2015 was a milestone year for Jimmy Borges. The singer celebrated his 80th birthday and his 60th anniversary as a professional entertainer with credits ranging from San Francisco supper clubs and Las Vegas showrooms to Waikiki’s finest jazz spots. He released his first full-length album in 24 years, brought down the house singing “My Way” at La Pietra’s Sunset Jazz fundraiser, and joined Matt Catingub and the Hawaii Pops as the featured guest at a centennial celebration of Frank Sinatra’s birthday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
It was after the concert that Borges went public with something a widening circle of friends and associates already knew: He had terminal lung and liver cancer. Borges had beaten the dire diagnosis four years ago, but this time doctors told him it was inoperable and he decided to forgo additional treatment.
As 2015 came to a close, Hawaii was wishing Borges well and hoping he — and jazz bassist Steve Jones and television journalist Kirk Matthews, who are also battling cancer — might somehow beat the disease again.
— John Berger
3. Mililani teen chosen to be Disney’s ‘Moana’
Disney searched the world for the star of its next animated feature, “Moana,” and found her — after a year of looking — in Mililani.
Auli‘i Cravalho, a charming 14-year-old, was chosen to be the voice of the young navigator who lives in ancient Oceania. She will star alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who plays the demigod Maui.
When the film’s directors, animation veterans John Musker and Ron Clements, unveiled Cravalho at a press conference in October, they called her remarkable and fearless.
The teenager took the media glare in stride.
“It’s a little bit overwhelming, I’ll admit, but I’m really excited and happy,” she said. “I try not to let it get to my head. I don’t want to be big-headed. I got this wonderful opportunity for being myself.”
According to Disney, Moana is “a spirited teenager on an impossible mission to fulfill her ancestors’ quest.” Against the wishes of her father, a chief, she sets sail for a fabled island. During her journey, Moana teams up with Maui, and together they encounter “enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.”
“Moana” is expected to be released in November.
“She’s someone you can root for,” Cravalho said. “She’s very determined. There is a part of her that is naive and so sweet. There is a part of her where she is not certain and I think that keeps her real.”
— Mike Gordon
4. Divas perform soldout concerts for eager fans
In almost any year but 2015 Janet Jackson’s sold-out three-nighter at the Blaisdell Arena would have been Hawaii’s biggest concert story bar none. It was the first time since 2002 that Jackson had done a public show on Oahu and presale tickets to certain credit card holders for the first concert sold out before they went on sale to the public. Tickets for the second night were gone minutes after the Blaisdell box office opened, and the superstar added a third in response.
A few technical problems aside, Jackson’s “Unbreakable World Tour” lived up to its billing.
But 2015 also was the year Diana Ross, Motown’s ultimate diva, played her first-ever public shows in Hawaii — two at the Blaisdell Arena and two on Maui. Tickets for Ross’ Blaisdell concerts also sold at supersonic speed and, at the age of 71, she did not disappoint her fans. Ross’ show included six gorgeous costume changes and almost every old-time hit — from The Supremes and her solo career — her fans could reasonably ask for.
— John Berger
5. Ala Moana’s Ewa Wing opens to mixed reviews
It’s not every day a new mall opens, but the fall opening of Ala Moana Center’s new Ewa Wing Expansion was the equivalent of adding a whole new mall, with 30 stores and restaurants, and more set to open in 2016.
The expansion included the long-awaited openings of New York-based Bloomingdale’s and the islands’ first Zara .
The Nov. 12 grand opening brought thousands of people back to the mall to see what had been hidden behind construction barricades and to judge whether the work that had disrupted traffic and parking for most of the year had been worth the wait.
Feelings were mixed as avid shoppers were elated to have more options to shop at home, while others felt many of the glitzy, upscale new stores lacked a welcoming Hawaii vibe and price points that would encourage frequent visits.
One of the most popular of the newcomers is Nitrogenie, the most democratic of all the operations, offering crowd-pleasing ice cream made on the spot with the help of liquid nitrogen. At nearly $5 per cup, it’s an affordable luxury that still has crowds lining up.
— Nadine Kam
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