My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

[となりのトトロ]

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto

Synopsis:
Two sisters encounter mystical forest creatures when their family moves to the countryside.

Impressions:
When most people think of Studio Ghibli, they think of this movie. Shoot, Totoro is the studio's mascot for a reason. I actually remember seeing Roger Ebert's review years before I saw it for myself. It truly is one of the greatest children's films ever made, with a great sense of innocence that nevertheless doesn't shy away from some of the more unpleasant sides of life. Most writers wouldn't know how to craft a story without an antagonist, much less one that was still compelling, but the master shows us how it's done. While the studio was already impressing before this point, I feel this is the one that really brought Ghibli to prime time. As you'd expect, the animation is gorgeous and Joe Hisaishi provides a memorable score. One thing that might be of interest to you is that Shigesato Itoi of the Mother/Earthbound series voices Mr. Kusakabe. I enthusiastically recommend this one. It deserves a cherished space in your collection.

Rating:
Treasure It