My Neighbor Totoro is a modern classic directed by Hayao Miyazaki, often called the Japanese Walt Disney. With a light touch and plenty of humor, My Neighbor Totoro follows five-year-old Mei and her big sister Satsuki, who have just moved with their father to a house in the country. It isn't long before Mei meets an enormous furry creature called a totoro, whose enigmatic presence only enhances the movie's dreamy realism. The girls' mother is in the hospital, and Satsuki's fears that her mother will die are not glossed over; when their mother's expected visit home is canceled, the girls panic, fearing the worst. The ending is wonderfully satisfying, and the rural Japanese countryside is depicted in loving detail.
Small children will enjoy this movie just as much as their older siblings and parents. English voice cast includes Lisa Michaelson, Cheryl Chase, and Greg Snegoff.
Running Time: 87 minutes. Released 1988. Rated G.
Spirited Away
Ten-year-old Chihiro isn't very pleased to be moving to a new home. But on the way her father takes what he thinks is a short-cut, and the family discovers what they think is an abandoned amusement park. The park isn't what it seems, though, and Chihiro is soon terrified to find her parents turned into pigs and her way out of the park blocked by a lake. From her new friend Haku--who also isn't what he seems--Chihiro learns that she must work in the bathhouse if she wants to save her parents from being turned into bacon. Surreal and alternately funny and frightening, Chihiro's adventures with the witch Yubaba, the strange spirit No-Face, and the other friends and foes she meets are all fascinating.
Another of director Miyazaki's movies, Spirited Away broke box office records in Japan and went on to garner awards throughout the world. Its English-language release was managed by Disney. English voice cast includes Daveigh Chase, Michael Chiklis, and Suzanne Pleshette.
Running Time: 132 minutes. Released 2001. Rated PG.