Fun movies filmed in Hawaii while we await 'The Descendants'

November means we're inching closer to the theatrical release of "The Descendants" (Nov. 18), which has been chalking up Oscar buzz almost from the get-go, with George Clooney starring and Alexander Payne ("Sideways," "About Schmidt," "Election") directing.

The synopsis: "The Descendants" is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney), an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. The event leads to a rapproachement with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the family's land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries. (Photo: Shailene Woodley as "Alexandra," Clooney as "Matt King" and Amara Miller as "Scottie." Fox Searchlight Pictures.)

The film has special significance for Hawaii residents: Filmed and set here, it's based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by local author Kaui Hart Hemmings. The characters and plot resonate not just because they pull from Hawaii's history and culture, but because they're woven into the modern-day ordinariness of life. Yes, it's paradise, but people here shuffle to work, deal with family anguish and sit in traffic like anyone, anywhere. Maybe it will be the first film to really "get" Hawaii. From the Nonstop Honolulu review of the film's premiere at the Hawaii International Film Festival, it has.

But in the meantime, the release got us thinking about movie favorites filmed here. Maybe they didn't "get" the Islands, but they showcased them well. Here's a selection:

'Step Into Liquid'

It wasn't "set" in Hawaii, but this acclaimed surfing documentary showed off breaks such as Pipeline and Jaws with astonishing visual and aural virtuosity, and explored the great accessibility of the sport that was born and cultivated in the Islands. (Surfing on a lake in Wisconsin?) Not to mention the spirit of surfing, a deep connection with the ocean and life.

'South Pacific'

The movie that put Hanalei on Hollywood's map, this 1958 film adaptation of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical showed off the distinctive Na Pali coastline and north Kauai mountains. (The signature Bali Hai suite at the St. Regis Princeville is named for it.) Kauai has since become a go-to destination for "tropical" shoots. (You can see the top spots on a tour of Kauai filming locations.) Of the more than 60 films shot on Kauai, notables include "Raiders of the Lost Ark, "King Kong," "Tropic Thunder," "Avatar" and ...

'Jurassic Park'

No movie got Kauai's tropical rainforest, verdant hills and waterfalls quite like the Steven Spielberg-helmed dinosaur series. Catch those soaring mountains (and rain!) between plugs for the new Blu-Ray set that's out.

'North Shore'

Some pretty hamfisted efforts to address localism and "soul surfing," but for many it falls into the "so bad it's great" category. Add in all that North Shore scenery and small but pivotal (and funny) roles for local surfing legends Laird Hamilton and Gerry Lopez, and you've got a must-see flick.

'From Here to Eternity'

Gotta give it up for the kissing scene that named a beach. Halona Cove shares a name with the famous east Oahu blowhole; the cove is located just to the west, and you have to hike down about 75 feet from the highway to get to it. It's more popularly known as the "From Here to Eternity" beach for Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr's immortal smooch. Not much sandy beach to speak of, but it is beautiful. Scenes from the latest "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Karate Kid II" were also filmed near here, and it was a popular filming location for the iconic television series, "Lost."

'Blue Hawaii'

It wouldn't be a Hawaii movie list without Elvis Presley. His first of three filmed-in-Hawaii flicks, "Blue Hawaii" is probably his most fondly remembered. Here he is singing "No More" at Hanauma Bay, Oahu.

Other "musts" for a Hawaii movie list? We'd love to hear from you. Add them to the comments section below.