MichelleATX

We've gotten our two boys, ages 2 and 1, a lot of Miyazaki's anime. Some of them didn't even come with English tracks or subtitles, but that hasn't stopped our kids from clamoring to see them again and again. Sometimes in the same day. While they both like Howl's Moving Castle, The Cat Returns, and Spirited Away, this is their favorite, by far. They hear the theme start and they squeal with delight. Until we got the English-dub, they were starting to sing the theme song in Japanese.

The story is easy to follow, the characters are easy for kids to identify with, and the Totoros are just delightful. The only downside of this movie, in my opinion, is that the English musical soundtrack doesn't have Sonya Isaac's "Hey Let's Go!," which is our favorite song in the film. I haven't found this song yet as an audio file and I know my kids would get a kick out of hearing it in the car.

Can't recommend this movie highly enough. I've easily seen it over 100 times and still haven't tired of it myself.

This movie is hysterical, from its depiction of what the American west must have looked like to an outsider to its terrific Jewish guilt and humor, although it does have a lot of "insider" Jewish humor. That's not to say it can't be enjoyed by non-Jews, as well, but a familiarity with Jewish culture definitely makes the movie more enjoyable. Wilder is at his funniest and Harrison Ford is charming as a side-kick, a role I wasn't accustomed to seeing him in. Watching Ford succumb to Jewish guilt--even when it means freezing his butt--is fantastic. My apologies to Blazing Saddles fans but I think this is way funnier. And it didn't even have to rely on fart-humor.

Yeah, the acting isn't the best, but I loved the storyline in this. And if David Duchovny isn't enough reason to watch this film (it was for me), watch it for an interesting take on man's ever-present struggle with God over loss and tragedy. Mimi Rogers plays a woman who is so hurt and angry at God over the tragedies that befall her that she risks eternal damnation rather than accept God's will. I was struck by this movie because her character goes through a struggle most religious people experience at some point in their lives.

I wish this film was available on DVD. It's a good one to watch and discuss afterward.