When Lilo and Stitch was released to theaters by Walt Disney Animation Studios on June 21, 2002, no one expected it to be as popular as it is currently. The movie is about a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo who lives with her sister Nani. During the movie, Nani brings Lilo to adopt an animal-like fluffy blue alien named Stitch, and its popularity both then and now is comparable to that of Frozen. A franchise was born: one that included four movies, two animated series, one anime, four albums, five video games, and many, many articles of merchandise (my brother and I combined own three plushies, a blanket, three tee shirts, and two pairs of pajamas). The movie became wildly popular with the general population, but especially with autistic people, as while it is currently unconfirmed, it is a common theory that both Lilo and Stitch are autistic, which has resulted in many, myself included, relating to the stories of both Lilo and Stitch.
Lilo lives in Hawaii with her older sister Nani, after both of her parents died in a car crash. She loves hula dancing, and especially Elvis Presley, to the extent that it could be considered a special interest or hyperfixation. When she’s upset, she plays his records to cheer herself up, and she emulates his behavior in order to better fit in. She has issues making friends with the other girls in her hula class; she and the other girls just don’t get each other, and she has trouble interpreting social cues and figuring out what she’s done wrong to make them shun her. Her “friends” are a fish named Pudge, who she says controls the weather and who she feeds a peanut butter sandwich every day, and Scrump, the doll she made who she says had an alien lay eggs in her head. Lilo is very blunt and doesn’t waste time with niceties; instead of shaking the social worker’s hand, she asks him if he ever killed anyone. All of these traits make her “weird” and an outsider to those in the movie, but to viewers who are autistic, they make her lovable and extremely relatable.
Many autistic people also feel a connection with Stitch and his storyline. He is created as a result of illegal genetic experiments, and escapes the spaceship he’s created on and heads to Earth. He’s mistaken for a dog and brought to an animal shelter, where Lilo adopts him. Although he initially wreaks havoc on their household, Lilo convinces Nani to let her keep him and she teaches him to better fit in. She uses her idol, Elvis, to show Stitch how to act. He makes many mistakes, and some of his benevolent actions are misinterpreted as harmful, but Lilo never gives up on him. While starting as an outsider, Stitch eventually finds his home and his family with Lilo and Nani, emulating the feeling many autistic people experience when they find other autistic people and the autistic community online. The connection Lilo and Stitch have as “weirdos” or “outsiders” is one so strong, it is comparable to a familial bond, much like the bonds autistic people have with each other. Lilo and Stitch cling to each other, back each other up, and fight for each other, even when the situation is dismal. For each of them, the most important thing becomes each other.
Although no one would have expected it, a movie about a fluffy blue alien and a little girl has been found by many to be more realistic than more “adult” movies with more “serious” plots. Lilo and Stitch has provided understanding for many, giving them characters they can see themselves in, in a world with limited representation of autistic people in the media (and even less accurate representation). It’s impossible not to fall in love with these characters, especially when they are so easy to connect with. As they repeat in the movie, “Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” And that’s exactly what autistic people seek. To not be left behind. To not be forgotten.
