| Aloha | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Cameron Crowe |
| Written by | Cameron Crowe |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Eric Gautier |
| Edited by | Joe Hutshing |
| Music by | Jónsi & Alex |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $37–52 million[3][4] |
| Box office | $26.3 million[4] |
Aloha is a 2015 Americanromantic comedy film written, co-produced and directed byCameron Crowe. It starsBradley Cooper as formerU.S. Air Force officer Brian Gilcrest, who returns to Hawaii after being rehired by a former boss to oversee the launch of a privatized weapons satellite in the skies over Hawaii.Emma Stone,Rachel McAdams,Bill Murray,John Krasinski,Danny McBride, andAlec Baldwin star in supporting roles. As of 2025, it is the latest film directed by Crowe.
Released on May 29, 2015 bySony Pictures Releasing in the United States and Canada and by20th Century Fox in international markets, the film was acritical and commercial failure, grossing $26.3 million worldwide against a budget of $37–52 million.[5]
Military contractor Brian Gilcrest returns to Hawaii with billionaire Carson Welch, who plans to build a space center and launch a private satellite. Once a celebrated Air Force officer whose career ended in controversy, Gilcrest is tasked with negotiating with Native Hawaiian leaders for the project. His assignment reunites him with his ex-girlfriend Tracy, now married with two children, and introduces him to his Air Force liaison, Captain Allison Ng, whose optimism rekindles his interest in space.
With Ng’s help, Gilcrest secures support from community leader Dennis “Bumpy” Kanahele. As they grow closer, Ng discovers that Welch’s satellite will secretly carry a nuclear payload, and feels betrayed that Gilcrest knew. Meanwhile, Tracy reveals that her daughter Grace is actually Gilcrest’s child, though her husband Woody remains devoted to their family.
When Chinese hackers attempt to sabotage the launch, Gilcrest stops them but realizes the dangers of the satellite. He overrides the system and destroys it, angering Welch but earning belated respect from his superiors. Accepting that Ng’s career could be harmed by their association, Gilcrest ends their relationship but later professes his love, promising to wait for her. He also encourages Tracy to stay with Woody, who reconciles with his wife after learning the truth about Grace.
In the final scene, Gilcrest quietly watches Grace at her hula class. Realizing he is her father, she runs to embrace him before returning to dance, leaving Gilcrest at peace.
Emma Stone was first to be cast in the film in 2012.[6]
On July 31, 2013,Alec Baldwin joined the cast of the film.[7] There was a casting call for extras on August 29 onOahu.[8] Bradley Cooper went toHawaii on September 14, twelve days before filming began.[9][10]
On October 7, it was announced thatprincipal photography was still underway in Hawaii.[11] Stone received ground training on how to fly the Piper PA44-180 Seminole airplane from Rob Moore, Chief Instructor Pilot of Galvin Flight Services Hawaii, who later flew the airplane nearKaʻaʻawa Valley for the inflight shots. Moore acted as the aviation technical advisor. Cooper was filming in downtownHonolulu on December 18 and 19. On February 2, 2015,Sony Pictures stated that the film's final title would beAloha;[12] the previous working titles wereDeep Tiki andVolcano Romance.[13]
Themusical score forAloha was composed byJónsi & Alex,[14] followingJónsi's collaboration with Cameron Crowe onWe Bought a Zoo (2011). Originally,Mark Mothersbaugh said in May 2014 that he was going to score the film.[15] A soundtrack album was released on May 26, 2015 byMadison Gate Records andSony Legacy, which included tracks byVancouver Sleep Clinic,Fleetwood Mac,David Crosby,Jonsi & Alex,Beck andJosh Ritter.[16]
On February 14, 2014, it was announced that the film was scheduled for release on December 25, 2014.[17] On July 21, the release date was changed to May 29, 2015.[18]
The film's firsttrailer was released on February 11, 2015.[19]
Aloha grossed $21.1 million in North America and $5.2 million in other territories for a total gross of $26.3 million, against a $37 million budget.[4]
In North America,Aloha opened simultaneously with the disaster filmSan Andreas. It earned $500,000 from Thursday night showings at 2,275 theaters[20] and an estimated $3.5 million on its opening day from 2,815 theaters.[21] In its opening weekend, the film grossed $9.7 million, finishing 6th at the box office.[22] The film earned $1.65 million in its opening weekend overseas from 7 countries. Australia and New Zealand had an opening weekend combined of $1.5 million[23] and Brazil opened with $240,000.[24] The film went directly tovideo on demand in the UK[25] and France.[26]
Pamela McClintock atThe Hollywood Reporter estimated that the financial losses by the film finished to around $65 million by the time the film ended its global theatrical run, based on a budget of "$37 million-plus".[27]
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 20% based on reviews from 166 critics, with an average rating of 4.30/10. The critics' consensus reads: "Meandering and insubstantial,Aloha finds writer-director Cameron Crowe at his most sentimental and least compelling."[28] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 40 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[29] InCinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, surveyed audiences gaveAloha an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.[30]
Peter Travers ofRolling Stone wrote: "It gives me no pleasure to report thatAloha is still a mess, a handful of stories struggling for a unifying tone."[31] Andrew Barker ofVariety called it Crowe's worst film, saying it was "unbalanced, unwieldy, and at times nearly unintelligible".[32]
Richard Roeper of theChicago Sun-Times recommended the film despite its flaws, "There ARE times whenAloha doesn't work — and yet I'm recommending it for its sometimes loony sense of wonder, its trippy spirituality, its brilliant cast and because I seem to be a sap for even the Cameron Crowe movies almost nobody else likes."[33]
The film was nominated for threeTeen Choice Awards: Bradley Cooper forChoice Movie Actor: Comedy; Emma Stone forChoice Movie Actress: Comedy; and the film itself in the category ofChoice Movie: Comedy.[34]
The Media Action Network for Asian Americans accused the director and studio ofwhitewashing the cast, and Crowe apologized about Emma Stone being cast as a character who is stated to be of one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter Hawaiian descent.[35][36][37]
In June 2015, Crowe responded to the backlash: "I have heard your words and your disappointment, and I offer you a heart-felt apology to all who felt this was an odd or misguided casting choice. As far back as 2007, Captain Allison Ng was written to be a super-proud one-quarter Hawaiian who was frustrated that, by all outward appearances, she looked nothing like one. A half-Chinese father was meant to show the surprising mix of cultures often prevalent in Hawaii. Extremely proud of her unlikely heritage, she feels personally compelled to over-explain every chance she gets. The character was based on a real-life, red-headed local who did just that."[38][39]
Sony Pictures defended the film's portrayal ofHawaiian culture stating, "While some have been quick to judge a movie they haven't seen and a script they haven't read, the film "Aloha" respectfully showcases the spirit and culture of the Hawaiian people."[40]
Stone later said she regretted letting herself be inaccurately ethnically cast and acknowledged whitewashing as a widespread problem in Hollywood. Nevertheless, she echoed Crowe's defense of her casting: "The character was not supposed to look like her background which was a quarter Hawaiian and a quarter Chinese."[41][42][43]
During the opening monologue for the2019 Golden Globe Awards, co-hostSandra Oh alluded to the issue of whitewashing in Hollywood by joking thatCrazy Rich Asians (2018) was "the first studio film with anAsian-American lead sinceGhost in the Shell andAloha." This prompted Stone, who was in attendance, to shout "I'm sorry!" in reaction.[44]
