A city plan that really does work

By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

Waikiki. An Elvis impersonator. Jeremy Harris. Who would've thought that would be a recipe for a fun time?

But the "Sunset on the Beach" program works on so many levels.

Sunday evening, hundreds sat in the sand at Kuhio Beach Park, watched the day's last golden rays disappear into the water, ate like piggies and took in the sights. On stage was a live band, then a live Elvis (not the real one), then Mayor Harris (the real one) to introduce the movie "Blue Hawai'i."

There were local families next to tourists, runners from the Honolulu Marathon sprawled like rag dolls on the lawn, babies and kupuna, way-too-cool teens and even cooler Pearl Harbor veterans. The organizers said the free event was for everyone, and they were right.

Much credit must be given the restaurants that put up booths. They managed to take their complex kitchen operations to the beach while serving unreal food at UNREAL prices ($6 for a New York steak plate from Sunset Grill, $5 for barbecue chicken plate from Sorabol, $4 for barbecue pork from Dixie Grill). The Hyatt Waikiki's Seafood Village had a crab nori spring roll that would make your eyes roll back in your head.

There were no technical glitches to mar the experience. The 30-foot screen is big enough so that when that tall man who always seems to find you sits down in front of you, you can still see the movie. The sound system was clear enough so wailing babies and yapping dogs didn't do much damage, but not too loud so as to make babies wail and dogs yap.

Another nice element: uniformed officers from the Honolulu Police Department were close at hand and far enough away. You knew they were there if you needed them, but their presence was comforting, not unnerving.

But the best thing of all was watching the audience watch the movie. People had these silly looks on their faces, like children watching their favorite cartoon. Their faces were lit up by the screen, but their eyes were lit up from inside. There's something elemental and healing about coming together as a community for a shared experience, even if it's a goofy old movie. The publicity for the program talks about bringing the magic back to Waikiki. This is the magic.

Coming up Saturday is "Star Trek: Wrath of Khan" and Sunday is "Forrest Gump." There are movies scheduled through Jan. 6. Parking is reasonable (a quarter for an hour at the Honolulu Zoo or along Kapi'olani Park).

If you go, bring something comfy to sit on, someone you like to lean on and a jacket. And say mahalo to the restaurants, the city, Mayor Harris, the Waikiki Improvement Association and all the other people who are making "Sunset on the Beach" work.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.