Goonies and pays homage to other movies as well. The Netflix film heavily relies on nostalgia via steady cinematic callbacks, yet there's a purely modern feel that will appeal to those who aren't familiar with the context. Overall, director Jude Weng and writer Julie Strain provide a blend of clever cultural references and subtle Easter eggs, which allows Finding 'Ohana to connect with a global Netflix audience.
When Finding 'Ohana released in January 2021, critics and casual streamers alike noticed the film's obvious inspiration - The Goonies, a 1985 adventure classic that was conceptualized by the iconic Steven Spielberg. Both stories follow young kids and young adults who embark on a treasure adventure and want to help family with financial issues. Finding 'Ohana essentially adopts The Goonies' narrative structure, and then makes the appropriate cultural tweaks for a story about a Brooklyn family that visits their native Oahu, Hawaii. As a mother named Leilani (Kelly Hu) looks after her ailing father Kimo (Branscombe Richmond), her children Ioane (Alex Aiono) and Pili (Kea Peahu) team up with some pals to investigate a rumored local treasure. Whereas The Goonies' inciting incident involves the discovery of a pirate map, Finding 'Ohana's action kicks off when Pili finds a historic family heirloom.
Finding 'Ohana references The Goonies from beginning to end, and utilizes ing characters for cultural commentaries. For example, Pili's friend Casper (Owen Vaccaro) informs the geocache champion about Hawaiian history and the importance of several locations, while Casper's friend Hana (Lindsay Watson) challenges Ioane to be more thoughtful and appreciative when discussing local customs. In that sense, Finding 'Ohana may actually have more narrative depth than The Goonies, even if it uses the 1985 film's script as a treasure map of its own. Here's every movie reference in the 2021 Netflix film.
John Wick (11:00)
After Pili discovers the journal of a famous sailor named Monks (Ricky Garcia), she scrambles out of her grandfather's old bus and leaps out the back; a moment that thematically aligns with the character's geocache background. She evades Kimo by mere seconds, and then comes face to face with the curious Casper, who expresses his surprise by stating "Cheese on rice" - a PG-rated play on words for "Jesus Christ." Casper also applauds Pili for her athletic agility by saying "That was some John Wick fancy business," which is a direct reference to the popular action movie franchise starring Keanu Reeves. This particular movie reference in Finding 'Ohana is generic, but it establishes the friendship dynamic between Pili and Casper, with the Brooklyn girl being a little rougher around the edges.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (15:00)
As Pili reads Monks' journal, she learns about "Marchadores nocturnos" - the Spanish term for "Nightmarchers." The girl is then surprised by her brother Ioane, who casually reveals that Nightmarchers are the ghosts of Hawaiian warriors. In typical big brother fashion, he attempts to scare his little sister and seizes the moment for a dramatic performance. Ioane says "You'll know they're coming when you hear their drums," and then taps on the window for a rhythmic display. After telling Pili that the Nightmarchers can be identified by their torches and shell horns, Ioane warns her about what could happen if she's captured by saying " that scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark - the Nightmarchers story is especially powerful. Finding 'Ohana also includes Indiana Jones references at 47:00 and 1:32:00.
Jurassic Park (37:00)
At Kualoa Ranch Nature Preserve, Casper breaks down the location's pop culture relevance and why so many tourists visit the location. He tells Pili that it's "sacred Hawaiian land" and that many movies are filmed there, such as Lost was filmed at the same location, with the character dialogue seeming to align more with the opinion of the screenwriter than the young character:
"People really liked Lost. I'm not sure why. I thought it was convoluted and poorly plotted. But I guess after six years of accumulated emotional investment, people don't want to it that they spent so much time on something that failed to deliver a satisfying ending. The cinematography work was great though."
Keanu Reeves (44:00)
During a car ride, Ioane teases Hana about not submitting her application to The Juilliard School in New York. When Hana asks Ioane why he goes by "E," the Brooklynite explains that he's tired of telling people how to pronounce "Ioane." He then references the actor Keanu Reeves (the star of the aforementioned John Wick franchise), and states "The only Hawaiian name they know is Keanu, and he's the worst." Hana defends the movie icon and tells Ioane to shut his "mainlander mouth" because Keanu Reeves is "a Hawaiian treasure." Finding 'Ohana further references "the sad Canadian" through Ioane's walking stick, which is named Keanu.
Godzilla (1:50:00)
During a late sequence in Finding 'Ohana, Leilani watches VHS footage of her late husband, Kua (Brad Kalilimoku). She's accompanied by her children Ioane and Pili, who previously saw their father in a vision. At one point in the retro footage, Kua plays with young Pili, who is described as "Baby Godzilla" by Leilani. The movie reference suggests that Pili was destined to be proactive like her father.
The Goonies (Multiple)
The Goonies, though the 1985 film isn't referenced by name through character dialogue. Below is a list of all the thematic and storyline citations:
3:00: Finding 'Ohana begins with a visual reference to The Goonies' ending, as Pili wins a geocache competition and states "It's gonna be the best summer ever" as confetti blows in the wind. In the 1985 film, Irving Walsh (Keith Walker) states "There'll be no more g today or ever again!" and then tosses ripped foreclosure papers into the air.
4:00: Pili and Ioane notice a stench in Kimo's home, just like Mikey notices a foul smell in the basement of the Fratelli home. It's a small homage, but one that die-hard fans of The Goonies will notice.
4:00: Leilani discovers that Kimo hasn't paid his property taxes in five years. In The Goonies, the protagonists use their treasure to prevent the foreclosure of their homes in their Goon Docks neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon.
9:00: Pili finds Monks' journal, a moment that thematically aligns with Mikey's discovery of a treasure map in The Goonies. At this point, it becomes evident that Finding 'Ohana is essentially "The Goonies in Hawaii."
25:00: Ke Huy Quan, who portrayed Data in The Goonies, makes his first appearance in Finding 'Ohana as Kimo's friend, George Phan. It's a rather obvious homage, but younger Netflix audiences may not immediately understand the significance.
29:00: A close-up coin visual is a direct homage to the doubloon close-up in The Goonies. It's a strong image, and further confirmation about the film's narrative trajectory.
35:00: Pili's wears customized SPAM-themed shoes to help her drive. It's a loose thematic homage to Data's various contraptions in The Goonies.
45:00: Pili and company begin exploring a cave. From this point forward, Finding 'Ohana follows the cave sequence in The Goonies, both aesthetically and conceptually.
46:00: Pili and Casper find a skull that looks similar to one found in The Goonies, at least in of how it's aesthetically presented to the audience. In the Netflix movie, the characters are mostly scared of human remains, whereas the Goonies actually speak to them.
52:00: A pulley system in the cave mirrors the booby trap sequence in The Goonies. It's a broad thematic reference.
1:03:00: Ioane begins wearing a headband like Brand in The Goonies. In another subtle reference, the character wears red arm bands, which look aesthetically similar to Brand's red bandana.
1:08:00: Pili says "Hey, you guyyysss," which is a direct reference to Sloth's famous line in The Goonies. In this case, the character says it off-screen, which seems like a missed opportunity to give the actress Peahu "a moment."
1:17:00: A waterfall cave sequence is thematically and visually similar to the waterfall cave sequence in The Goonies. There are no coins, however (at least not yet).
1:27:00: The treasure discovery sequence is also thematically and visually similar to the treasure scene in The Goonies. The 1985 sequence has a bit more to offer with Mikey speaking directly to One-Eye Willie's remains.
1:37:00: The Finding 'Ohana protagonists drop from a rope into a body of water, which thematically links to The Goonies' climax, specifically how the Fratelli brothers are tied together by rope while the protagonists escape. It's a generic nod, but once again demonstrates that the Netflix film has followed The Goonies' narrative structure.
1:47:00: Ioane and Hana kiss, just as Brand and Andy kiss in The Goonies. The character initially has friction in the Netflix movie, but their respective arcs eventually align with the central romance in the 1985 film, with Ioane even transforming into a modern version of Brand.
Finding 'Ohana released in January 2021 on Netflix.
