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In 2002, I found myself glued to a movie-theater seat as I gazed upon the tale of a young Hawaiian young woman and her newfound alien friend unfolding on screen. It wasn’t the melted candy though that kept me stuck, it was the raw and authentic portrayal of an unconventional family like my control that I had never seen depicted on-screen before.

Even now, I can’t support but reflect on just how real Lilo & Stitch was and how relevant it still is today. The film, which premiered 15 years ago today, pushed what American animated films for families could show and declare, and it did so with such beautiful artistry. Had the death of a parent been covered in an animated Disney film before? Yes. But had it been done to such realistic authenticity? Not so much.

For a kid like me who was raised by my grandmother and knew my mother had been killed, I didn’t often observe families in the media that so closely mirrored my own. I always wondered why other kids didn’t have social workers checking in on their safety, or court dates or legal papers to fill out.

Lilo & Stitch showed social services in action and portrayed a strikingly realistic scenario. Namely, that if Lilo’s older sister, Nani, doesn’