My Neighbor Totoro
BFI #72
Rent/Purchase
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
What critics thought
One of the most beloved animated films ever made, Totoro wins critics over with its plotless, conflict-free structure — a children's film built entirely on atmosphere, wonder, and the texture of everyday life rather than stakes or villains. The early 1993 English translation drew some pointed criticism for muted visuals and stilted dialogue, but the film itself earns near-universal admiration; the main dissenting note is that it sits in a gentler register than Miyazaki's more boldly imaginative later work, which a handful of critics read as a limitation.
“it would never have won its worldwide audience just because of its warm heart. It is also rich with human comedy in the way it observes the two remarkably convincing, lifelike little girls ... It is a little sad, a little scary, a little surprising and a little informative, just like life itself. It depends on a situation instead of a plot, and suggests that the wonder of life and the resources of imagination supply all the adventure you need.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Miyazaki's family fable is remarkably light on tension, conflict and plot twists, yet it beguiles from beginning to end ... what sticks with the viewer is the every-kid credibility of the girls' actions as they work, play and settle into their new surroundings”
Matthew Leyland·Sight & Sound
“devoid of much of the fantasia of Miyazaki's more outwardly visionary work”
Jordan Cronk·Slant
“too much of the film, however, is taken up with stiff, mechanical chitchat”
Stephen Holden·The New York Times
Genres
Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Cast & Crew
DirectorHayao Miyazaki
StarringNoriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Hitoshi Takagi, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto
ComposerJoe Hisaishi
My Neighbor Totoro
BFI #72
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
What critics thought
One of the most beloved animated films ever made, Totoro wins critics over with its plotless, conflict-free structure — a children's film built entirely on atmosphere, wonder, and the texture of everyday life rather than stakes or villains. The early 1993 English translation drew some pointed criticism for muted visuals and stilted dialogue, but the film itself earns near-universal admiration; the main dissenting note is that it sits in a gentler register than Miyazaki's more boldly imaginative later work, which a handful of critics read as a limitation.
“it would never have won its worldwide audience just because of its warm heart. It is also rich with human comedy in the way it observes the two remarkably convincing, lifelike little girls ... It is a little sad, a little scary, a little surprising and a little informative, just like life itself. It depends on a situation instead of a plot, and suggests that the wonder of life and the resources of imagination supply all the adventure you need.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Miyazaki's family fable is remarkably light on tension, conflict and plot twists, yet it beguiles from beginning to end ... what sticks with the viewer is the every-kid credibility of the girls' actions as they work, play and settle into their new surroundings”
Matthew Leyland·Sight & Sound
“devoid of much of the fantasia of Miyazaki's more outwardly visionary work”
Jordan Cronk·Slant
“too much of the film, however, is taken up with stiff, mechanical chitchat”
Stephen Holden·The New York Times
Genres
Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Cast & Crew
DirectorHayao Miyazaki
StarringNoriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Hitoshi Takagi, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto
ComposerJoe Hisaishi
Rent/Purchase