I don't think I have ever told this story before. It is a bit personal. But to me it was also kind of revelatory when it happened.
In 1999 I was working on the character of Lilo at Disney's animation studio in Orlando/Florida. One evening an acquaintance of mine from LA was visiting, and he asked me to join him for dinner at a Disney World restaurant. At one point during dinner he asked me what I was animating at the moment. I started to describe the sequence pictured here. Nani and Lilo are having a moment in a hammock at night after Nani had gotten fired from her job. Lilo doesn't understand what her sister is trying to tell her. The two of them would not stay together anymore, because the next morning child services would take Lilo. Nani had failed to be a guardian of her little sister. (She was drawn by the great Stephane Sainte-Foi.)
The scene I had just finished animating was when Lilo wobbles from one side of the hammock toward Nani to comfort her. I kid you not when I admit that I got all teary eyed just talking about this moment in the film. My mind went..wowowo..hang on here, this has never happened before when talking about my work. What the heck?
I reflected on this later on and realized that this (fictitious) little character had gotten a hold of me emotionally. And this was the kind of footage you animate from an internal place, almost with tears in your eyes.
What the heck?
I kid you not, just recently I was wondering if you were going to post more about this film, since it will be it's 20th anniversary later this year, and you didn't disappoint.
ReplyDeleteI think you said you got teary-eyed animating on this movie several times before, during interviews and such, and honestly who could blame you? I genuinely think Lilo and Stitch remains possibly the best feature film to come out of Disney Animation since the year 2000 (and my favourite is Treasure Planet, which was also released in the 2000s, but this one I think is objectively better as a whole). I simply think this movie has it all, including perhaps the two most important things: outstanding animation and art direction, and an amazing story. The latter is something we don't always get nowadays, and that's why this movie aged like fine wine in my opinion. I guess that it was a fantastic choice to make a film that features a solid story that is mostly grounded in reality in a way that I don't think had ever been done before. The various subplots blend together perfectly, so you get a good mix of pathos and fun, but Lilo and Nani's beautifully developed sisterhood could carry the whole movie on its own.
Moments like the one you mentioned spoke to people like me (an only child), I can't imagine how relatable they must have felt to people who have siblings.
This movie will always be on of Disney's finest, in my opinion,and I'm happy you got the chance to be a part of it.
I am delighted to find someone else that enjoys Treasure Planet. I find it is massively underappreciated. The romance of ships in space, those beautifully drawn characters and the sweeping sets and backgrounds. I have watched it many times, and I am sure will watch it many more
DeleteAndreas-
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing. Your sincerity always came through in your animation, and I was overjoyed with the privilege to be one of your clean-up key assistants on Lilo. That film will always stand out for me in its genuine and very heartfelt simplicity. Some of your scenes reminded me of Ollie’s work on Penny in “The Rescuers”. Anyway, thanks again for sharing such wonderful memories! Good times, indeed.
I love the story and humanity in Lilo and Stitch. Thanks for bringing to life such a wonderful moment.
ReplyDeleteAndreas, I hope your journey with "Mushka" gave you moments like this one.
ReplyDeleteIt's really outstanding work, and your sincerity about it really shows. I think it's my favorite post-Walt Disney film
ReplyDeleteBefore your work on Lilo, have you ever had similar emotional moments that were that powerful when animating a scene or character?
ReplyDeleteThis kind of sentimental connection I've only felt with Lilo.(Although MUSHKA has some of it as well.)
DeleteWith villain characters there are different emotions involved, but they can be deep, too.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story, Andreas. I kid you not, my eyes got misty while reading it and remembering that scene. Lilo's experience of abandonment and loneliness has always resonated so strongly with me. I was a (gay) teenager when the movie came out, and I was struggling with similar feelings. I'll be forever grateful to you for bringing Lilo to life with such sensitivity and attention to her inner world.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see this scene, I cry harder.
ReplyDeleteI like your story so much! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experiences with us!
It touches me....And it is helpful, too! :)
My daughter and I identified very much with the relationship between Nani and Lilo.
I don't know how often we watched this feature.
We had a lot of fun with it, too.
So it's a pity that my daughter doesn't want to watch Lilo and Stitch anymore. She tells me that it is because of those heartbreak scenes like this one... :(
You pour your heart and soul into these characters so it's understandable that they touch you so ...
ReplyDeleteThank you for these wonderful stories kind Sir ...
Lilo is a sweet 'little' film, with a lot of soul and heart, those two characters are deceptively simply, but a lot of emotion gets rung out of those eyes especially. It is also besides a really lovely film setting with that really nice water color effects and very clear unhestitantly saturated colors. Congratulations on your creation, that still speaks Andreas
ReplyDeleteHello Andreas....love your personal story about this scene. It is a wonderful moment in the story and having it paired with the song "Aloha'Oe" makes the scene even more magical. It is always great to hear the emotional inspiration behind the artist. This movie has a special place in my heart as I leave part of my year in Kona. Thank you for sharing!
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