Children may not have the experience or street smarts of grown-ups, but their unique perspective often lends them a capability far out of our reach. That’s why Hayao Miyazaki is a genius. The famed Japanese director has made a career out of setting stories in animated worlds that seem acutely real—not because they look the way things really look, but because they look the way things look to children. While he is more famous for the Oscar-winning "Spirited Away," his "My Neighbor Totoro" probably ranks higher on the list of great films for and about kids.
"Totoro" tells the story of two young sisters who spend a lot of time with only each other. In their times of greatest need—when they are lonely, scared or sad—the girls are assisted by magical animals, including the titular creature, a kind of mix between a rabbit and a penguin, who is so irrepressibly cute it’s a wonder his likeness doesn’t adorn hats, T-shirts and messenger bags in every hip neighborhood of the country. But even here, Miyazaki’s message is clear: The imagination is the world’s greatest coping mechanism. It lends distraction and hope in equal doses and fills the gaps when your own self-assurance is nowhere to be found. "My Neighbor Totoro" is a movie for children and for those of us who can still remember what it was like to be a child. And it’s a much better bit of PR for the imaginary friends union than "Drop Dead Fred."
"My Neighbor Totoro" plays in a special midnight screening Fri., Nov. 14, at the Nuart
