These magical movies are not only beautiful, they share valuable lessons, too.
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Looking for new family movie night ideas? Hayao Miyazaki has made some of the most beloved children's movies of all time, but many people haven't heard of them.
While Miyazaki is a legend in his home country of Japan, his work is just starting to become mainstream in North America. He co-founded Studio Ghibli in the 1980s, when most animators were only working in television. Since then, the studio's popularity has slowly grown in Japan and overseas. Today there is a theme park and even a pop-up store at the Toronto International Film Festival!
Miyazaki combines the wonderment of childhood with an intricate art style and meaningful themes. The goal of Studio Ghibli was to create art without corporate compromises, and that mission sings in every project they produce. Even better? Both kids and parents will love these films and you can find them on Netflix (in Canada) and Max (in the US).
It is important to note that not every movie made by Miyazaki is appropriate for kids. For example, Princess Mononoke is likely too violent for children under 12. Do your research before making popcorn and pressing play. Common Sense Media is a great resource that shares age recommendations, content warnings and reviews.
One of the signature aspects of Miyazaki's work is how he brings personality to all forms of nature, including animals and even inanimate objects, like the dust bunnies in My Neighbor Totoro (called susuwatari). These characters not only represent the natural world but also the nature of the people around us.
Parents often play a large role in these films, teaching their children to be curious and independent. Miyazaki chooses to present family dynamics in unconventional ways. Children are usually raised by a single parent and in Ponyo, a boy calls his mother by her first name. The movies show different ways of being a family—and not just because some families are actually fish in disguise.
The parents in Ghibli films are often eager to listen to what their children have to say. And parents believe their kids when they report seeing a mystical creature, for instance. This is empowering for both the characters in the movie and kids in real life.
Your kids will surely see themselves in many of these movies. Each portrayal of childhood is honest. With a support system of family and mystical creatures, the characters explore and make mistakes without regret. Then they pick themselves up and jump back in.
Here are three Miyazaki movies that are perfect for younger kids. Common Sense Media recommends that each movie is best for ages five and up.
Sisters Satsuki and Mei and their father, Tatsuo, move into a small country home to be near the hospital where the girls' mother is suffering from a long-term illness. The sisters quickly realize that their lives are changing. The father is single-parenting, and moving to a new home makes it hard for the girls to make friends. Soon, Mei stumbles into a nearby forest and befriends a large spirit named Totoro, which looks like a bunny/bear hybrid. Spending time with Totoro and the other spirits in the forest teaches them that wonder is possible in life wherever you look for it. Even in the darkest point in their lives, a positive attitude can present enough light to carry forward. There is always a friend like Totoro around the corner.
One scene when Tatsuo and his children have a bath together encapsulates these themes. The creaky old house filled with dust mites (that are alive) is scaring the children. The father sees their fear and encourages them to laugh, saying, "Come on, let's laugh to keep the boogeyman away." This magical family moment and the steam from the bath force the dust mites to flee as they run towards a crevice in the ceiling and float away into the night sky. My Neighbor Totoro teaches us that there is no obstacle a family can't overcome together.
While My Neighbor Totoro highlights the importance of family, the main character in Kiki's Delivery Service leaves her household to pursue training as a witch. She stumbles on a town that will become her new home and is put to work delivering baked goods on her flying broom. The movie follows Kiki as she faces the struggles of adolescence. She makes mistakes, encounters rude customers, experiences love and loneliness, and takes on a lot of responsibility. The movie teaches children that they do not have to compromise who they are as a person to succeed.
In one sequence, Kiki gets a call from an old woman named Madame to deliver a pie for her granddaughter's birthday party. When Kiki arrives, Madame explains that the pie is not ready because the oven is broken. Kiki offers to make a fire for the wood oven that Madame has not used for years. Once the pie is baked, Kiki flies through a storm towards the granddaughter's birthday. The granddaughter tells Kiki that she hates the pies that her grandmother bakes.
After all that hard work goes unappreciated, Kiki becomes depressed and loses her witch powers. This depiction of experiencing life's lows during adolescence is authentic and hard to find in other children's movies.
Ponyo is among Miyazaki's most magical works. The movie follows a boy named Sōsuke who rescues a goldfish trapped in a jar on a beach shore. Sōsuke names the goldfish Ponyo, and they quickly develop a friendship. Ponyo's father is a wizard who lives underwater and sends "wave spirits" to retrieve her.
With Ponyo's powers, she wishes to become a human and later escapes to reunite with Sōsuke. In her attempts to find him, she unknowingly floods the entire town and leaves Sōsuke's mother, Lisa, stranded at the old age home where she works. It is up to Sōsuke and Ponyo to save the town and find Lisa.
One scene shows Ponyo's parents, Granmamare and Fujimoto, discussing their daughter's future. Fujimoto expresses his fear as a father of letting go of Ponyo as she leaves the "nest," falls in love with a boy and blossoms into womanhood. Sōsuke's mother, Lisa, raises him for the entire movie as his father is out at sea.
The movie presents the difficulties that come with parenting, not always being on the same page as your partner, and the fear that your little one is growing up too fast. Luckily, the movie's final resolution is the power of love because if you have that, everything else will work out. While being wildly entertaining for kids, Miyazaki presents lessons that parents can consider and learn from, too.
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Andrew is a master's student at Toronto Metropolitan University. His work has been published in University of Toronto's student newspaper, The Mike. He specializes in arts and culture writing. He lives in Toronto where he enjoys watching movies and spending time with friends.