When you think of Valentine's Day movies, the first that probably come to mind are the classic rom-coms and dramas: “The Notebook”, “Sleepless in Seattle”, and the movie Valentine’s Day itself. All focus on romantic love. Instead, I would like to direct you to a lesser celebrated, however completely indispensable, relationship: Ohana. For those of you who don’t know, Ohana means family, which is an iconic line from “Lilo and Stitch”, a beloved animated film to many. Lilo, an adventurous young girl in Hawaii, has lived with her older sister since her parents died in a tragic accident. Lilo’s sister, Nani, struggles with adult responsibilities and maintaining custody of Lilo. The two sisters adopt a “dog”, Stitch, that is actually an alien weapon, avoiding capture from his creator Jumba, and Peakley, an agent of the United Galactic Federation.

Of course, there’s a perfect fairytale ending, since this is a Disney film—Nani keeps custody of Lilo, and Stitch, Jumba and Peakley stay on earth—but it is important to note the many messages this film portrays about love and Ohana. Family, it seems, is both by blood and by choice. Lilo and Nani are a family, but their alien pets/friends become a part of that family too. Lilo loves Stitch, Stitch loves Lilo. These two have no trouble showing each other affection. However, family can be more complicated than that. Nani loves Lilo, but has trouble showing it with all the pressure of her newfound adult responsibilities. Lilo loves Nani, but sometimes doesn’t understand that Nani acts harshly towards Lilo and Stitch because they often interfere with her work.

This Valentine’s Day, it’s important to highlight a variety of love stories, and “Lilo and Stitch” stands out. Nowadays, many holidays are materialistic to an extreme, especially Valentine’s Day. Candy hearts, teddy bears, and too much chocolate, and Galentine gift exchanges — it’s a holiday based on consumerism. Pivoting to sisterly and familial love in the form of watching “Lilo and Stitch” is the perfect place to start. Although not your traditional love story, this story is reminiscent of childhood, growing pains, and believing in happily-ever-afters. This Valentine’s Day, I will be thinking of sisterly love and found family.