[ MAUKA MAKAI ]
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
On The Cover: Five unrelated kids came together as family on film. Clockwise from top are Kylie Moore, Christian Gutierrez, Taché Uesugi, James Lee and Keali'i Olmos.
Insta-family
‘50 First Dates’ leads to
five hanai siblings
TALK ABOUT blended family. These kids have five mothers and fathers, one hanai dad and roots in both Honolulu and Los Angeles. They share two terrific uncles and a fabulous aunty who also happen to be among the biggest names in entertainment today: Peter Segal, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.
If you still don't know who these kids are, take a trip to the theater and check out "50 First Dates," which was filmed in Hawaii and features the talents of the five local youngsters.
Fate orchestrated beautifully the story line of the children -- they play siblings -- with the chemistry between their families, who saw each other hour after hour, day after day, for nine weeks of filming in Los Angeles and Honolulu.
"It was like -- instant family," says Kanani Moore, mother of Kylie, 6, who plays the only sister among five children. Comic Rob Schneider plays their father, Ula, Adam Sandler's sidekick.
The families met in Los Angeles last March for the first time, where their children, all newbies to the movie business, worked on the film for three weeks. The children's moms say that being far away from home brought the families together.
"We were from Hawaii, out on the mainland alone," says Emi Gutierrez, mother of Christian, 6. "It was so nice to be with sweet ladies and their sweet kids."
After each workday was through, the families got together at the hotel swimming pool. "And one night, we went to Sandy's room (Sandy Olmos, mother of Keali'i, 7) and got room service," Gutierrez says with a laugh.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
The on-screen family from "50 First Dates" includes Kylie Moore, left, Christian Gutierrez, James Lee, Taché Uesugi and Keali'i Olmos.
LIFE ON THE SET of "50 First Dates" was idyllic. The children had their own dressing rooms, a basketball hoop in a big gym to play with, fancy catered food and even a candy truck to raid. Add to that director Segal's daily gifts of toys, and you've got the makings of kiddie heaven.
"Everybody gave us what we asked for," says Taché Uesugi, 11, who traveled to Los Angeles with his father. "The best thing was the gifts from Peter and spending time with my dad. We walked to stores to buy food and visited Hollywood Boulevard. It felt just like weekend, weekend, weekend, weekend!"
It took less flash and more substance, but the parents have come away with a positive experience of the filming as well.
"The crew felt like part of the family," say Olmos and Lisa Rapoza, mother of James Lee, 9. The rest of the moms wholeheartedly agree. They laud Carrie Ringler, the production assistant in charge of the children, for keeping the families' every need met. And the films' stars couldn't have been more accommodating.
When the children struggled with repeated takes or just needed a break, they were rewarded with fishing or swim time with Schneider and basketball games with Sandler.
"The whole set was family-oriented," says Moore. "No one ever swore around the kids. Adam, Drew and Rob did everything to keep the kids laughing. And Peter left the kids encouraging notes. My father is a pastor and he was concerned. When he came to visit, he was so impressed with the environment on the set."
"It was a good experience," says Olmos. "I'm glad it was their first experience."
COURTESY OF JODI UESUGI
Taché Uesugi and Christian Gutierrez, above, enjoy their own set of chairs.
SHOW BUSINESS having sprung so suddenly on their children, the parents still seem somewhat dazed by the whole experience. For Taché, Kylie and Christian, it was their first job ever.
"We got called on the last day of auditions. It was a Monday," Gutierrez says of Christian's tryout. "Then we got the call that he got the part on Tuesday at 4 p.m. We left for L.A. on Wednesday."
Taché's mom, Jodi Uesugi, calls his involvement in the movie "heaven sent."
"Taché wasn't doing well in school, so we took him to karate and singing and dancing classes to get him involved in different things," she says. "Then, in his first audition, he got this part -- it was heaven sent."
Moore says she almost pulled Kylie out of the talent agency she had signed her up with. "We weren't getting any calls, and I only got her into it because my sister is a model, and she begged me to take Kylie. I got into it to shut my sister up."
The experienced members of the group, Keali'i and James, have worked on radio and print ads, and Keali'i served as an extra on Nick Cannon's Nickelodeon show. Their moms hope their roles in "50 First Dates" lead to other things.
But Gutierrez leans more toward the philosophical.
"I just look at it like, hey, if this is it, it's a pretty big 'it,'" she says.
COURTESY OF JODI UESUGI
James Lee goes one-on-one with Adam Sandler during a break in filming.
TODAY, the children see each other only occasionally, for birthday parties and at auditions and media events for the movie. But their ties are strong, and the memories of their big break are vivid. One of their favorite collective memories is of Sandler's dog, Meatball, who came to the set every day. Sandler didn't do too badly in the popularity poll, either.
"I say my favorite person was Adam," Taché says. "He made jokes and brought Meatball and played basketball with us."
"Shooting it at home was great," says James, ever the island boy. "Not like other movies, where you gotta go away, you know? And they show the real Hawaii. That's what I like about it." And with an eye toward the future, "I have to say, if another big chance comes around, I would take it."
Meanwhile, the littlest of the "siblings" focused on the simplest of joys.
"My favorite part was swimming," says Kylie. Christian's preferences ran along the same line: "I liked going on the boat because I got to go into the water," he says.
But perhaps Keali'i sums it up best: "First, we didn't know each other, but when we knew each others' names, Peter said we had to be friends. So we did. Then Peter said we had to be like a family. It was fun."
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
The families' ties are strong. They are, clockwise from top left: Kanani and Kylie Moore; mom Lisa Rapoza and James Lee with sister Jessie, 7 months; Keali'i Olmos, center, with mom, Sandy, and brother Kekoa, 12; Emi and Christian Gutierrez; and Jodi Uesugi with sons Taché, left, and Travic, 6.
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