Hula Girls

I just got back from seeing "Hula Girls," a film about a depressed coal mining town in rural Japan. The setting is Fukushima, Japan, 1965. The coal company is laying people off due to the switch from coal to oil. The only glimmer of hope is the prospect of an entrepreneurial tourist attraction called the Hawaiian Center. The story centers around Kimiko, a teen, and her dream of dancing. The Hawaiian Center is met with opposition from the miners and the dancers' families, yet, the women pursue their goal. It's a great movie. Think "Shall We Dance" meets "Water Boys." By the way, both of the movies are Japanese movies, not the American ones. If "Hula Girls" hits your town, go and see it. Take some kleenex, too.