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“While Lilo has a humorous infatuation with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, calling him the “face of romance” and domesticating Stitch to perform just like Presley to turn his chaos into charm, it has nothing to do with the film’s premise.” - Trinity Bland in “The ‘Lilo & Stitch’ soundtrack has too much Elvis”

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Lilo & Stitch (2002) was a groundbreaking, trailblazing film for Disney in several significant ways. Putting Asian-Pacific, and more specifically, Hawaiian culture, female protagonists, and non-romantic relationships at its forefront, it breaks the mold of the more traditional animated Disney films that precede it (for example, Tarzan (1999), Beauty and the Beast (1991)). Though Lilo & Stitch is a well-liked movie, some have taken up issue with its eclectic soundtrack, which features seven Elvis Presley hits for seemingly no reason. However, when taking a closer look at select scenes, it is clear that these Elvis selections are essential in supplementing the movie’s tone, characterizing Lilo, and depicting the evolving relationships between characters.

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Written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois after working together on Disney’s Mulan (1998), Lilo & Stitch (2002) was an ambitious endeavor from the start. Sanders had originally conceptualized the story as a children’s book, but reimagined it as a screenplay with DeBlois to pitch to Disney. Though many innovative, culturally significant* (* = culturally significant for primarily white American audiences) animated Disney films were being produced from the 1990s to the early 2000s with large $100+ million dollar budgets, producer, Clark Spencer, strived to keep Lilo & Stitch on a modest* (** = modest for Disney) budget of $80 million dollars (Bahr).

After deciding to set the story in Kauai, Hawaii, Sanders, DeBlois, and other members of the creative team took a trip to the area to gather authentic inspiration from local Hawaiians. They learned about Hawaiian colloquialisms and culture, and implemented what they experienced into the film. One of those applications was the inclusion of Hawaiian-raised cast members (Tia Carrere as Nani, Jason Scott Lee as David), as well as appointing Hawaiian musician, Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu, and students from the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus to sing two of the film’s original Hawaiian-inspired songs (“He Mele No Lilo” and “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride”) (Bahr).

In addition to the aforementioned original songs, film composer, Alan Silvestri, worked on the solely instrumental selections “Stitch to the Rescue”, “You Can Never Belong”, and “I’m Lost.” What makes the Lilo & Stitch soundtrack so unique is its heavy use of famous hits by the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, throughout the movie. This decision came from a want to differentiate Lilo from her peers, as well as paying homage to Elvis’s association to the islands as he starred in many films set in Hawaii (Blue Hawaii (1961), Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)), and performed his biggest concert, Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii (1973), which was broadcast around the world, from Honolulu (Baird). It garnered an audience of over one billion people worldwide (Jones).

Sanders and DeBlois received permission from Elvis’s estate to use Elvis’s name, photo, and popular anthems like “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Suspicious Minds”, and “Hound Dog”, to name a few (Ball). In total, there are seven Elvis songs featured on the soundtrack (five are originals, two are covers). The estate was so pleased with the film, they gave Sanders and DeBlois a private tour of the acclaimed “Graceland”, where Elvis resided (Ball).

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Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders in Kauai, Hawaii

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Anyone who is familiar with Disney has heard the Hawaiian term, ohana, meaning “family” as it has been popularized by Lilo & Stitch. Family, and moreover, unconventional families, are undoubtedly the main theme of Lilo & Stitch. The film is set in the early 2000s, both in outer space and Kauai, Hawaii. It follows a causal plot structure. I will be recording the plot synopsis from Stitch’s perspective, as I believe he occupies the “Hero” archetype.

A creature called Experiment 626 is created in an outer space lab for destructive purposes by mad scientist, Jumba Jookiba. Jumba and Experiment 626 are arrested by the Galactic Federation for this unsolicited experimentation, as Experiment 626 has the ability to wreak havoc on anything in its proximity. With the help of deft moves, super strength, small size, and genetic enhancement, he is able to escape space prison with ease. These powers also help him survive getting hit by a truck once he lands on Kauai. He is taken to a dog shelter after his accident, and adopted by sisters Lilo and Nani Pelekai to help Lilo cope with her loneliness. Lilo names him “Stitch.”

Lilo takes on the role of the Mentor, attempting to teach Stitch how to behave properly, and corral his innate, dark desire to destroy everything in his path. Though he tries his best, he still succumbs to his evil genetic make-up, constantly sabotaging Nani’s chances of employment to serve his own selfish purposes of evading Jumba and henchman, Pleakley. This is particularly bad for Nani since she is under observation by social worker Cobra Bubbles, who believes Nani is not fit to take care of Lilo, and wants to send her to foster care. Stitch hits rock bottom when he puts Lilo’s life at risk by dragging her into the ocean to hide from his hunters. Feeling an immense sense of guilt, but also showing a transformation that he has been positively affected by Lilo’s companionship, he runs away.

Jumba and Pleakley locate Stitch, track him back to Lilo’s house, and demolish their home with galactic weapons. Cobra witnesses the whole thing, and takes Lilo away. She escapes and reunites with Stitch, but they are promptly abducted by Gantu, a captain from the Galactic Federation, sent to capture Stitch faster, and arrest Jumba. Stitch, using his supernatural powers, escapes the cage, and finds Nani in distress. Stitch atones for his mistakes, convincing Jumba and Pleakley to rescue Lilo from Gantu. They almost succeed, but the Councilwoman of the galaxy orders that Stitch be taken away. He asks if he can say goodbye to his new family, or ohana, and demonstrates his maturity, civil nature, and ability to love. The Councilwoman is impressed, and allows Stitch to stay with Lilo and Nani, under the supervision of the Galactic Federation and Cobra.

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Lilo is nothing if not multidimensional. She occupies several character archetypes, namely the Rebel, the Explorer, and the Mentor. She is inquisitive (sometimes to a fault), stubborn, independent, and suffers from deep feelings of loneliness, but takes care of Stitch and guides him on the path to feeling a sense of belonging. Her sister, Nani, also inhabits the role of the Rebel, as well as the Caregiver (albeit, an imperfect one). She is forced to grow up fast at 19 years old, becoming Lilo’s legal guardian as their parents have passed away in a car crash. She struggles to make ends meet, and faces many challenges raising Lilo since they are both quite hot-tempered. Despite this constant butting of heads, her love for Lilo is evident. Stitch, the extraterrestrial, destructive creature who becomes Lilo’s pet “dog” is both the Hero and the Villain simultaneously. He escapes the outer space lab in which he was created, and finds refuge on Kauai with Lilo. In trying to avoid being captured and destroyed by his creator, Jumba, Stitch stirs up plenty of trouble for Lilo and Nani, including inadvertently sabotaging Nani’s job interviews, and making her look like a reckless guardian in front of the social worker, Cobra Bubbles. Jumba and his henchman, Pleakley, can be seen as the Villains from Stitch’s perspective (though their many failed attempts to catch him could also paint them as the Jokers).

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After a rough day at Hula dance practice, Lilo boards the door to her house shut with a hammer and nails, lays down on the floor, and wallows in her loneliness to the diegetic “Heartbreak Hotel.” Nani demands Lilo let her into the house as Cobra is on his way to check the status of the household, but Lilo will not budge. She cranks the tune up, and mimics Elvis’s signature lonesome head bob while singing the (very fitting) lyrics of the song. Lilo’s heart is, in fact, broken. She has suffered a lot of loss at a young age, and even says “Leave me alone to die” while Elvis’s lyrics  “I’ll be so lonely, I could die” underscore her (“Elvis Presley – Heartbreak Hotel”).

“Heartbreak Hotel” is a stripped down Elvis classic. Using echoey vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, a simple piano trickle, and a subtle bass, a complementary tone of somberness, blues, and vulnerability is created in this scene. It juxtaposes the sense of urgency Nani is feeling to get inside the house in time for the social worker meeting. This contrast also creates a comedic moment between the two sisters. We have seen in the opening scene that Lilo is a bit different from other girls her age through dialogue, but through her music taste, and even her use of an antiquated record player in the early 2000s gives us a clear characterization of Lilo’s one-of-a-kind personality. She is truly an old soul, and finds solace in Presley’s timeless heartbreak anthem, much like young folks in the 1960s did listening to Elvis.

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Lilo tries to tame Stitch’s destructive nature in the same way she tries to tame her own feelings - with Elvis! She explains that Elvis is a model citizen, and Stitch should follow his example through three specific traits: dancing, guitar, and romance. Things seem to be going well until they aren’t in each respective trait scene. Lilo and Stitch dance together a la Elvis, incorporating the King’s smooth moves and smolder, but Stitch gets too wild and ends up pushing an old woman into a watermelon stand. Stitch quickly picks up the famous guitar riff in the song and enjoys playing the instrument, but shatters the windows of a coffee shop when he hits the high notes. He attempts to romance a woman in a hotel lobby with nice attire and a rose, but oversteps physical boundaries and scares her. The nondiegetic “(You’re The) Devil in Disguise” underscores this montage sequence. The lyrics directly reflect the situation at hand – Stitch may look like a cute, fuzzy “angel” on the outside, but this exterior is a “disguise” for the “devil” inside (“Elvis Presley – (You're the) Devil in Disguise”). Though this song is more lively than “Heartbreak Hotel” instrumentally, it still has a complementary island feel to it, especially in the verses with Elvis’s drawn-out crooning, and the guitar plucking.

The montage ends with Stitch in a full Elvis costume, complete with gold bling and a wig, showing off his newly acquired skills to beachgoers. He smiles as he performs the impressive guitar solo, but when folks begin to snap pictures of Stitch, his combative dark side takes over. The music cuts out, establishing a more serious tone, and Lilo urges the people to stop crowding Stitch. This scene is pivotal as it ends with Stitch looking visibly regretful and sorry for his actions – something we have not seen from him before this point. What Lilo has done with Stitch transcends "domesticati[on]" (Bland). The bond he and Lilo have formed through Elvis’s music has evidently had an effect on his psyche, and cut through his innate evil behavior. He has hurt someone, which was his initial purpose for creation, but it doesn’t feel right because it is someone he has grown to care about.

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lilo and stitch   You're the Devil in Disguise

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In the epilogue scene / closing credits of the movie, we see Stitch become fully integrated into Lilo and Nani’s world, along with Jumba, Pleakley, David, and Cobra. This newly formed family starts from scratch – literally. They build a house together, do chores, and celebrate holidays like Halloween and Christmas together. Stitch in particular takes on a domestic role in the house, packing lunches for Lilo and Nani, doing laundry, and baking. One of the standout moments in this montage is when Stitch gleefully hula dances with Lilo on stage in traditional Hawaiian grass skirts and leis as it shows a full circle from Lilo’s horrible “Heartbreak Hotel” day in the opening scene to a day full of “Burning Love” at the end.

This scene is underscored by the nondiegetic cover of Presley’s “Burning Love” by female country star, Wynonna. She provides a powerful, lively reimaging of the hit that complements its strong-willed female protagonist. Being that the film focuses on Lilo and Nani’s dynamic as sisters, it is quite neat that the last song of the movie is sung by a female vocal powerhouse. Like “Heartbreak Hotel” and “(You’re The) Devil in Disguise”, the lyrics of the song perfectly coincide with the visuals presented - the love this family has for one another, especially Stitch’s love for Lilo, is palpable, enduring, and “burning.”

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My inspiration for doing this project was reading the critique by Bland, and strongly disagreeing with it. Though I understand I have some bias as an avid fan of Elvis, I believe the scenes I have highlighted show how necessary these songs are in supplementing the overall message of the film, as well as developing the characters and their relationships with one another. It should also be noted that I am only an Elvis fan because of Lilo & Stitch. Hearing these hits at a young age exposed me to a different kind of music that I may not have heard if I hadn’t watched the film.

The sentiment that “the addition of his songs to the soundtrack truthfully fuels the white American entertainment experience” is inaccurate and close-minded (Bland). Elvis was a global rockstar – and though he does have an American background, Lilo does too! Both her Hawaiian heritage and American culture are reflected in the soundtrack. It is multidimensional, just like Lilo.

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Elvis has everything to do with the film’s premise. His music is how Lilo deals with her given circumstances, whether she is moping to “Heartbreak Hotel”, or bonding with an extraterrestrial creature through dancing to “(You’re The) Devil in Disguise).” Elvis is how she makes sense of her life, and how she is able to connect people with each other to create ohana.

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Ball, Kyle. “Lilo and Stitch, and Elvis: Graceland's Ties to Disney.” The Disney Classics, The Disney Classics, 16 July 2022, www.thedisneyclassics.com/blog/lilo-and-stitch-elvis.

Bahr, Sarah. "'Lilo & Stitch' at 20: Disney Mold Breaker: [the Arts/Cultural Desk]."New York Times, Jun 22, 2022. ProQuest, http://proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/lilo-amp-stitch-at-20-disney-mold-breaker/docview/2679033802/se-2.

Baird, Woody. "`Lilo & Stitch' Brings Elvis to New Generation: [North Final Edition]."Chicago Tribune, Jul 04, 2002, pp. 3. ProQuest, http://proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/lilo-stitch-brings-elvis-new-generation/docview/419621430/se-2.

Davis, Chris. "Elvis Redux: With the Animated Lilo & Stitch, Disney Reinvigorates Elvis' Legacy." Memphis Flyer, Jul 10, 2002, pp. 52. ProQuest, http://proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/elvis-redux-with-animated-lilo-stitch-disney/docview/365225710/se-2.

“Elvis Presley – Heartbreak Hotel.” Genius, genius.com/Elvis-presley-heartbreak-hotel-lyrics.

“Elvis Presley – (You're The) Devil in Disguise.” Genius, genius.com/Elvis-presley-youre-the-devil-in-disguise-lyrics.

Jones, J. R. "Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii." Reader, Aug 13, 2009, pp. 26. ProQuest, http://proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/elvis-aloha-hawaii/docview/204569179/se-2.