The Descendants in Hawaii

Some of you may remember my pathetic attempt at locating the elusive Johnny Depp a couple of summers ago during the filming of Pirates 4. The temporary residence of movie makers and actors is actually a common occurrence in the islands, and you never know who you could run into. Like Pierce Brosnan bicycling down the street. To be honest though, I think of actors as just normal people. No big deal. But spotting them can be a little fun. Makes for a good story anyway. 

The same summer, George Clooney was here filming "The Descendants," which was just recently released in theaters. And one afternoon, he was in my neighborhood, filming. He was in a Jeep with a dashboard hula girl repeatedly driving around the round-about - clogging traffic, I might add. And as for the evidence:

That was the best photo I could take with my cell phone, but oh well. It's him. I promise.

"The Descendants" was partly filmed at a cottage on Hanalei Bay, and in the evening, sometimes they would light up the street with their huge movie lights, and again, traffic would be clogged. 

And this is the view:

Rather beautiful, don't you think? I haven't seen "The Descendants" film yet, but I feel blessed to live in such a gorgeous atmosphere. It's better than a movie set. 

Chasing Pirates of the Caribbean

Has anyone seen the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie? I really enjoyed the first three Pirates movies, and was curious to see how a fourth movie would turn out. On Stranger Tides was surprisingly great for being a fourth film - I generally lose interest after the first or second (think the Beethoven movies or Home Alone or Land Before Time < how many of those were there - twenty-nine?>). The biggest reason that On Stranger Tides is so good is probably the continued reign of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, and though Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley aren't in the movie, it still held up. All the sword-fighting and sea-story elements of the previous films are kept, but the story is refreshed enough with new characters and plots to be enjoyable. Johnny Depp is joined by Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane in an adventurous tale about Blackbeard and mermaids and the fountain of youth. What I love about the Pirates movies is the emphasis on sea legends and myths and how they are treated as reality. 

Another reason I wanted to see Pirates of the Caribbean 4: I spent last summer chasing Johnny Depp around in his black Escalade. Well, at least I think it was his car. The Pirates 4 cast and crew came to Hawaii last year for some of the filming. We could see the movie trailers and trucks parked all over the place, but unfortunately, no actors. I did a little bit of pirate chasing when they were in the neighborhood, and even though I saw George Clooney making another movie, no Johnny Depp. It was still fun though, and I got to see some of the scenery in the movie ahead of time. 

Movie crew tents set up by the beach:

Yellow tape attempting to keep spies out:

This is the setting for the sunset scene at the end of Pirates 4:

A bunch of JD spotter wannabes:

A boat full of crew members (I think):

No JD, but I did make a friend:

One evening on my way home from work, I spotted a trail of yellow arrows on the road. The movie crews use them to show all the trucks where to go, and the trail is always changing because they film in different areas. So since I had nothing better to do, I followed one of the trucks to see where they were going to film that night. We drove over a slowly winding road inland and upland, and we eventually arrived at the entrance to a ranch high above the sea. I had to turn around, since it was private property, but the drive was still worth it. Turning back down to the coast, I felt I could actually taste the last colors of the day as they slowly melted together and fell all over the golden green landscape:

Although it sounds a little pathetic that I actually chased pirates around last summer, and even though I didn't actually see any, I had a good time exploring the island, discovering the hidden beauty of this place where I live. It's all in the chase, I suppose. The journey. The adventure. The day-to-day surprises. What have you.

Soul Surfer: The Story of Bethany Hamilton

Last night, I had the opportunity to watch the new movie "Soul Surfer" which tells the incredible story of Bethany Hamilton and how she overcame some extremely difficult circumstances. Here in Hawaii, Bethany Hamilton is kind of a big deal. She's a professional surfer, the daughter of surfers, and if you haven't noticed, surfing is a big deal here. But Bethany Hamilton has become more than a surfer to the people of Hawaii. She is a soul surfer - her heart and soul is what makes her who she is. 

When Bethany was only thirteen years old and destined for a successful career in professional surfing, she was attacked by a shark while she was surfing with some friends. The shark took off her left arm just below the shoulder, as well as a huge chunk of her board. Bethany remained calm, in shock, as her best friend's dad tied a tourniquet around her wound and paddled her to shore. By the time the ambulance took her to the hospital and the doctors stopped the bleeding, she had lost over 60% of her blood, coming dangerously close to death. When she recovered and was able to go home, Bethany still had the hardest trials in front of her. I can't imagine how frustrating it must have been, having to learn how to do everything with only one arm and hand, not being able to play the ukulele or guitar, not being able to dress yourself. But for Bethany, the hardest thing was not being able to surf, which is what she loves to do. The movie shows the journey Bethany took learning how to surf again, how she got over the obstacles that stood between her and her passion, how she came back to professional surfing.

The movie "Soul Surfer" captured a key ingredient to this moving story: the faith and trust in God that Bethany has. Bethany's Dad quotes Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Bethany learned that whatever happened, God was the one in control. Even when bad things happen, God has a greater purpose. Sometimes we don't see things clearly, but it's all about perspective. God gave Bethany the strength to surf again. He gave her perspective. She learned that life wasn't just about surfing, that there's something bigger than that. Through all of her struggles, Bethany Hamilton was given the opportunity to reach out to people and tell them of the hope inside her. Her witness was made greater through the hard times. 

The movie came off as a little corny at parts, but overall I really enjoyed it. The story is amazing, even if you're not into surfing. It's also a great family film, if you're looking for a good excuse for a family outing. "Soul Surfer" stars AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany Hamilton. The cast also includes Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, and Carrie Underwood.  Watch the trailer and spread the word! Don't miss out :)