A Catholic View of Ohana

“Ohana means family.” If you were a kid in the early 2000s, this famous phrase from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch probably resonates with you. As Catholics, we believe that family is important. But, does this only apply to the family you are born into or create in your marriage?

Our relationships are not limited to the families we have biological or marital connections to. We also have our parish family, and the Church is a family. Many of us find help and support among our church communities. Many of us create strong, holy friendships with those we meet in parish ministry. Similarly, Lilo and Nani receive help and support from people to whom they have no relation (and from aliens if you are familiar with the various sequels and TV series that came from the 2002 Lilo and Stitch). David of course helps Nani to find a job. In the TV series, Pleakley and Jumba help to run the household and look after Lilo (albeit not always in the most conducive ways, but at least they try).

Despite this meaning of Ohana that exists in the Lilo and Stitch universe, many are criticizing the 2025 film for “ruining” the meaning of Ohana". However, this film develops the meaning of Ohana that was set up in the 2002 animated film in even more ways. Yes, we still have the aliens who come to stay with Lilo and Nani at the end, but we also see some people who have offered the sisters support. Instead of just establishing this new Ohana at the end, we see from the beginning that Lilo and Nani’s Ohana goes beyond just the two of them and their deceased parents. 

What is Ohana really if it's not limited to our biological family? The key to Ohana lies in Stitch's infamous speech to the other aliens at the end of both films: “This is my family. I found it all on my own. It is little and broken but still good.” Stitch is an alien creature who does not have parents or siblings, but he finds his family with Lilo and Nani. In the 2025 film, Stitch is not the only one who discovers his Ohana. The entire film is a journey as Nani and Lilo grow in their relationships with the people and aliens around them. The most prominent is arguably Tutu, their neighbor. From early in the film, Tutu shows her care for the sisters. She encourages Nani to pursue college. She looks after Lilo while Nani is at work. She even takes Lilo to the animal shelter where she acquires Stitch. In the end, Tutu makes a loving offer to take Lilo in officially. Who would do that for someone they did not consider Ohana?

We are called to act in a similar way as Catholics. “The family must be helped and defended by appropriate social measures. Where families cannot fulfill their responsibilities, other social bodies have the duty of helping them and of supporting the institution of the family. Following the principle of subsidiarity, larger communities should take care not to usurp the family's prerogatives or interfere in its life. (CCC 2209)” Some might argue that Tutu would usurp Nani and Lilo’s Ohana by taking Lilo in. However, by doing this would Tutu be actually helping Nani fulfill her responsibility by giving Nani the opportunity to further her education and thus expanding her career opportunities to help provide for Lilo and her? This sounds more like “supporting the institution of the family” rather than usurping the family.  

We also should take into context Nani is not yet a full-fledged adult. She is believed to be around nineteen years old. The human brain does not develop until the age of twenty-five. The critics of this film in comparison to the original say that the original forced Nani to grow up. Maybe it did. However, was forcing Nani to take on greater responsibility before she was able to comprehend all that was involved wise? Now some proponents of young marriage would be quick to defend such stances, but that is a discussion for another post.  

Some may say the film's ending is unrealistic because the foster care system doesn’t work like that. While this is true, keep in mind this is still Disney. If we’re criticizing a movie for not being realistic then we probably shouldn’t be watching a film about a talking blue alien who a little girl adopts as a dog. But in the world of the film, this ending makes perfect sense and is a wonderful epitome of what Ohana means.

Some are claiming Nani would never abandon Lilo, but they seem to forget that the events of the film show Nani does not want to put Lilo in a worst case scenario. The social worker Mrs. Kekoa, who is a kind and caring woman (not like the semi-villainous Cobra Bubbles in the 2002 animated film), wants to find a solution that Nani is happy with. She begins by giving some goals for Nani to achieve, like cleaning up the house and getting insurance for the two of them, so that Lilo may remain with her sister. When Lilo ends up in the hospital after an accident, things become more dire for Nani's status as Lilo's guardian. In this instance, Mrs. Kekoa gives many options to assure Nani that Lilo can be well-cared for and Nani can still be present in her sister’s life (a far cry from Cobra Bubbles snatching Lilo and locking her in a car to take to who-knows-where). In the end, a seemingly perfect solution is found where Lilo gets to live next door with a family who already loves and cares for her and see her sister often (yes, this happens - watch the mid-credits scene). Sure, the state has the ability to change things, but considering how much Mrs. Kekoa tried to make things work for the best for the Pelekai sisters, let’s assume she’s going to stay on the case and make sure Lilo and Nani continue to have a happy ending. 

Furthermore, Nani did not make the choice to give Lilo up until she had confirmation that Lilo would go to a good home. While Nani had considered if foster care was the better choice for her sister earlier, Tutu’s offer to take Lilo in gave Nani peace in the final decision. In addition, Lilo was not taken away or snatched away by uncaring adults, rather she had a say in the sisters’ future. When Nani asked Lilo about future living arrangements, Lilo was happy to live with Tutu and encouraged her sister to pursue her dream of studying marine biology (or join the marines as Lilo misunderstood it). 

Some may criticize Nani, saying she wouldn’t have sacrificed her educational dreams to take care of Lilo in the original animated film. However, how much do we really know about Nani’s character in the original film? We know she’s a young woman who is unexpectedly tasked with taking care of a younger sister after her parents’ death. We know she has struggles with her new lot in life and gets easily frustrated with Lilo’s antics. We never know what she truly desires. The only sacrifice she arguably made in the 2002 film was turning down a relationship with David (and if you watch the TV series, you find out she does eventually go out with him). Giving Nani hopes and dreams in the 2025 version made her a better-rounded, more relatable character. Her desires to study marine biology were realistic for a nineteen-year-old girl. And Lilo’s support and encouragement toward her sister embraced the meaning of Ohana.

“Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” Tutu reminds Nani that she also cannot leave herself behind. While some may see this as a cop-out or a way to save face with the meaning of Ohana, Tutu makes a good point. What would happen to Nani if she put her life on hold completely until Lilo turned 18? By that time, Nani would be in her 30s (based on the characters’ guesstimated ages). She would have spent much of her young adult years without a stable career if she continued in her path of basic, entry-level jobs. Such a path would not provide for either of their needs long-term, especially if they were ever faced with major expenses. If Nani didn’t pursue any romantic relationships, she would still be single by the time Lilo turned 18. Biologically, it would be much more difficult for her to create her own family in such circumstances. If Nani “leaves herself behind” she is likely not going to have much of a life as soon as Lilo is grown up. Of course Nani should not leave Lilo behind either; however, as she goes on to pursue a better future for herself, Nani clearly does not forget Lilo. She emphasizes that they will be able to talk to each other and visit (which they do thanks to the aliens’ portal gun). Nani also does not forget to take Lilo’s wants into consideration as she takes the time to ask Lilo what she thinks regarding the new living situation. Conversely, Lilo does not forget about Nani’s hopes for the future as she encourages her sister to further her education. The meaning of Ohana is clearly intact as the sisters do not forget what the other desires and what is best for each other.

In order to fulfill what is best for the Pelekai family, they must be willing to expand their Ohana (besides just taking in a bunch of goofy aliens). Tutu is a key element in ensuring neither Lilo nor Nani is “left behind or forgotten”. While Tutu is not related to the Pelekai sisters, she is still Ohana through her association as their neighbor. The director himself said that Hawaiian culture emphasizes taking care of friends and neighbors (much like we are called to do as Catholics). Not much is specified about Tutu, but we can guess she’s been keeping an eye on Nani and Lilo (let's be honest, you'd have to be a pretty selfish person to leave two kids who just lost their parents to fend for themselves completely). More than likely, Tutu has lived next door to the Pelekais for quite some time, she probably knew their parents, maybe she’s someone who brought over food right after Lilo was born - whatever the case, she genuinely cares. Tutu does not forget that Nani had dreams of studying marine biology. Tutu makes sure that neither sister is left behind and that both are able to live their best lives, even going the extra mile to take in a child and her alien dog long-term (which would require sacrifice on Tutu's part). Truly, Tutu is a member of Lilo and Nani’s chosen Ohana.

In 2002, we learned from Lilo and Stitch that our Ohana is not just the family we’re born into but can also include the ones we choose. (If you watch the sequels or the TV series, you’ll see Lilo’s Ohana includes many besides Nani and Stitch such as Pleakley, Jumba, and David). In 2025, many of these characters of the same name continue to teach us about Ohana. However, they do so in a way that can be more relatable to today’s world (let’s be honest, a lot has changed over the last 23 years). How many of us have friends or neighbors who help us during tough times like Tutu does for Nani? How many younger siblings would want to see their older siblings pursue their dreams as Lilo does for Nani? As Catholics, we are called to discipleship, to “love our neighbor as ourselves”. We are called to take care of one another, we are called to love or “will the good” of our neighbors. The characters in 2025’s Lilo and Stitch embrace these actions we are called to as Catholics. They love their neighbors - who in this case are literal next-door neighbors. Let us look to Tutu, Nani, and Lilo as prime examples of how we can fulfill our Christian calling.

Many critics accuse this film of anti-family or pro “girl boss” values. While these kinds of skeptical takes are very much earned due to Hollywood’s nonsense, they are not as present in this film as they might be in others. Let us not be black pilled to believe every single film is going to be laced with “the message” (as dubbed by Youtuber The Critical Drinker). Let us not shut ourselves out from the world of storytelling. Caution is wise, we would encourage it, but do not shoot every messenger just because you simply think they are going to give you bad news. Let also not be caught up in nostalgia for a film from when we were younger and hold it up as a gold standard when it does not hold up to certain scrutiny.