The Hawaiians

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The Hawaiians

R

Released Jun 17, 1970

2h 14m

Drama

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2 Reviews

52%

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100+ Ratings

When Whip Hoxworth, a seafarer, returns to the island he loves, bringing a cargo of Chinese slaves, he learns that his grandfather's fortune has been left to his cousin. Determined to make his own money, he sets up a rival plantation - and begins a bitter family feud.

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Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

The plot begins with a jolt and ends with a sudden slam on the brakes; it feels like just one chapter in a much larger story.

Rated: 6/10

Dec 28, 2018

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Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

While 1966's Hawaii is generally considered superior to this follow-up, I find them to be of comparable interest.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 12, 2016

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S R

Interesting story, but it seemed half baked with the character development and writing. I liked learning more about the pineapples and statehood of Hawaii. Some of the acting was good, but it still could have been better. Saw on TCM.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/15/23

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CodyZamboni

Compelling parallel tales of two connected families in a time of great change in 19th century Hawaii. Charlton Heston is the black sheep of his rich family, who uses ruthless and criminal ways to build a pineapple empire. Mako and Tina Chen are Chinese immigrants, that Heston brings to the islands. Mako and Tina end up working for Heston on his plantation, and they soon recognize the importance of land ownership, and Tina becomes a tough business woman. And how both families adapt to the changes in Hawaii, including the growth of agriculture, slum like conditions for immirgrants, a leper colony on Molokai, America's overthrow of the Hawaian monarchy, bubonic plague, and the great Chinatown fire. All of this works, thanks to the strong performances by Heston and escpecially, Tina Chen.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/31/23

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Audience Member

To be clear, the movie works if you've read Michener's Hawaii. Even then, it is loosely based on less than 20% of his content. There just isn't enough time to do it justice. Think an entire season of Game of Thrones rolled into 2 hours. To anyone unfamiliar with the book, the plot lines will seem random and the movie choppy. As with any screenplay, characters are consolidated without the luxury of time for development. But, the acting is commendable for the material given, and being a huge fan of the novel, it worked for me.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

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steve d

A few strong performances make it work.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

A lot of bare breasts for a PG movie. Not that I'm complaining...

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Audience Member

awesome sprawling epic

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Tom Gries

Director

Charlton Heston

Whip Hoxworth

Geraldine Chaplin

Purity Hoxworth

John Phillip Law

Noel Hoxworth

Tina Chen

Nyuk Tsin

Alec McCowen

Micah Hale

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Synopsis

When Whip Hoxworth, a seafarer, returns to the island he loves, bringing a cargo of Chinese slaves, he learns that his grandfather's fortune has been left to his cousin. Determined to make his own money, he sets up a rival plantation - and begins a bitter family feud.

Director: Tom Gries
Producer: Walter Mirisch
Screenwriter: James R. Webb
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: The Mirisch Production Company
Rating: R (Some Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 17, 1970, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 2h 14m

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