A relocated California teen (Roy Newton) faces rampant anti-white sentiment in this interesting `coming of age' drama set in the island paradise of Hawaii. The acting is fair and the drama often forced, as the well-meaning lad struggles to fit into a culture where local islanders view mainlanders as a threat and respond with aggression. This isn't the Hawaii my travel agent pitched.
This uneven effort, written and directed by first-timer David L. Cunningham, is laudable in attempt and tone but suffers from the constrictions of budget and experience. By the final reel, all the characters have either failed or suffered and there are no clear resolutions, except those espoused all too briefly -- by a native schoolteacher.
This uneven effort, written and directed by first-timer David L. Cunningham, is laudable in attempt and tone but suffers from the constrictions of budget and experience. By the final reel, all the characters have either failed or suffered and there are no clear resolutions, except those espoused all too briefly -- by a native schoolteacher.