It’s #MovieNight! Grab your girlfriends (or your adoring significant other), some movie food, and one of these movies, and you’ll have a recipe for the perfect chick flick movie night—or movie marathon! It’s impossible for me to pick just one Hawaii movie for the Year of Movie Moments, so in honor of our upcoming 5th anniversary trip to Hawaii, I’m starting this series on the best Hawaiian movies out there. Click the movie poster photos below to watch it on Amazon or get your own copy!

50 First Dates

Type: Chick-comedy
Runtime: 1h 39m
Year: 2004
Chick Flick Qualification: Boy meets girl. Boy meets girl again. And again. And again. And again…
Best Hawaiian Feature: Friendly people who love their neighbors like family, plus amazing Oahu scenery.

What makes this movie so great?

I mean, he finds new ways to help her live a full life and fall in love with him every day! What’s not to love about that? Adam Sandler is not my favorite, and I could take or leave Drew Barrymore, but in this film, they work so well together. I loved how everyone around her—people at the diner, her dad and brother at home, the people at the hospital—wanted what was best for her. The “spirit of aloha,” for which Hawaii is so well known, is beautifully showcased here, and the principle of “if you love someone, let them go” is also a lovely part of the theme.

Fun fact: the original script set the movie in Seattle, but I’m glad they switched it to sunny Hawaii!

Prefer the DVD? Get yours here!

Aloha

Type: Chick-drama
Runtime: 1h 45m
Year: 2015
Chick Flick Qualification: Gut-wrenching love triangle.
Best Hawaiian Feature: Stunning footage of the islands from the air, and not just of Oahu!

What makes this movie so great?

While the space stuff seems a bit far-fetched and out of place, the rest of the movie is classic chick flick in paradise stuff. Without giving too much away, it’s the classic “my buddy married my girl” saga, with a little bit of “is that my kid” thrown in. It actually bombed at the box office, but if you have special affection for the military or Hawaii, you won’t be disappointed.

Prefer the DVD? Get yours here!

Princess Kaiulani

Type: Chick-history
Runtime: 2h 10m
Year: 2010
Chick Flick Qualification: She must choose between her Kingdom and the handsome love of her life.
Best Hawaiian Feature: I was most impressed with the scenes at I’olani Palace in Honolulu, since most films set or filmed in Hawaii focus on the beaches.

What makes this movie so great?

I’m a sucker for a true story, and a strong female lead makes it an excellent selection for girls’ night! While the subject matter does not put America in such a positive light, I think knowing about topics like this is very important. I watched this movie for the first time in preparation for my first trip to Hawaii, and I literally knew nothing about the sugar barons or the U.S. takeover, and that’s a little embarrassing to admit! But after watching, I was inspired to learn the facts and get more information about Hawaiian culture and history. I think the movie did its job!

Prefer the DVD? Get yours here!

South Pacific

Type: Chick-musical
Runtime: 2h 51m
Year: 1958
Chick Flick Qualification: Because Nelly Forebush is “Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair!”
Best Hawaiian Feature: Those beachy scenes! Talk about an office with a view.

What makes this movie so great?

The music! It’s one of Rogers and Hammerstein’s most famous and beloved musicals for a reason. Don’t be fooled… the movie is South Pacific, so it’s not actually set in Hawaii (which is in the northern hemisphere), but it was indeed filmed on Kauai. You might need to invite your extroverted girlfriends for this one to make sure someone starts singing and re-enacting Nothing Like a Dame and Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair, just to get everyone in the mood early on!

Prefer the DVD? Get yours here!

Which one will you watch first? Tell me in the comments below!

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