A year after meeting Moondoggie (James Darren), Gidget (Deborah Walley) has fallen head over heels for the surfer boy. They, however, don’t get to spend much time with one another while Moondoggie is away at school. Now that he has arrived back home, Gidget has been informed that she and her family are traveling to Hawaii for vacation. Gidget Goes Hawaiian tells the story of Gidget and Moondoggie’s breakup and the struggles that take place as a result. While the two feel that they are destined to be with one another, distance and a man named Eddie Horner (Michael Callan) will test the bond that the two claim to have. Can the young couple weather the storm, or will they be torn apart at the seams?
The first installment of the Gidget franchise in 1959 that featured a young Sandra Dee was certainly not my cup of tea, but there was something about the exuberant and energetic Dee that allowed viewers to appreciate her and the film. Gidget Goes Hawaiian not only recasts, but reinvents the title character, and in the worst way possible. The character was initially a go-getter, the type of person who refused to let others get her down, she was always optimistic and willing to roll with the punches. Walley’s version of the character takes everything viewers knew and liked about the character and throws them out the window. This rendition of the character is whiney, pessimistic, and downright antagonistic. It appears to be her mission to irritate those around her and, even in the best of moments, Gidget finds things to complain about. She expresses her displeasure with the man she claims to love, her parents, and the trip to Hawaii. She comes off as spoiled and absolutely destroys the character of Gidget. Furthermore, the titular character is often presented to viewers throughout the films as attractive and appealing to the opposite sex. While Dee, to some degree, fit that persona, Walley is so far from that mark that the stream of men throwing themselves at her is laughable and anything but believable.
The idea that Gidget Goes Hawaiian and continues her surfing endeavors in one of the surfing capitals of the world is somewhat intriguing, even for those who weren’t fans of the first film. However, with the exception of the fact that the majority of the film does, in fact, take place in Hawaii, Hawaii plays an extremely small role in the grand scheme of things. It feels that there was so much potential for Gidget and her friends and family to explore and enjoy the beautiful islands but director Paul Wendkos and writer Ruth Brooks Flippen missed the opportunity.
The story is cringeworthy, and nearly every time Walley appears on screen viewers can’t help but wish she’d go away. Gidget Goes Hawaiian is significantly worse than the first installment and only finds mild success due to Darren, Carl Reiner (Russ Lawrence--Gidget’s father), and Callan's acting abilities. While the three are tasked with playing opposite Walley, who struggles to express the simplest of emotions, they manage to find a nice balance between the perpetually cheesy nature of the Gidget franchise and genuine, relatable emotion. Gidget Goes Hawaiian comes dangerously close to wiping out on numerous occasions, however, with the help of these three, there are moments when the film is able to poke its ugly head out from under water.
Directed by Paul Wendkos. Written by Ruth Brooks Flippen & Frederick Kohner. Starring James Darren, Deborah Walley, Michael Callan, Carl Reiner, Vicki Trickett, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments