In a Land of Pure Imagination Everyday Situations
The daily lives of the Yamadas are presented in a series of relatable and humourous vignettes (with the occasional fantasy sequence). Like getting lost in a department store.
And tackling schoolwork.
And gaining remote control supremacy.
Adorable Child Alert
Nonoko, who knows her way around a cake LIKE A BOSS.
Lovable Anthropomorphic Sidekick
I just seem to love snarky pets, like Pochi, the family dog.
Wait, WTF?
Whom exactly does the ‘my’ refer to in the title? Although I’d have to take it up with the source material that this movie is based on.
And a fond farewell to the last of Isao Takahata’s films to be featured in these posts, since it’s pretty clear that I love the stories he tells*. My Neighbors the Yamadas was his most recent film, until this year’s (for Japan) The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. There’s actually a shout-out to the folktale that Kaguya is based on in Yamadas!
*In other words, I like the cut of his Ghibli. (I’M SORRY, I HAD TO.)
Famous Voices
- Jim Belushi as the dad
Mary Katherine GallagherMolly Shannon as the mom- Tress MacNeille as the grandma
- Spy Kid Daryl Sabara as Noboru
- David Ogden Stiers as the narrator
Class Superlative: Most Ordinary
That description isn’t meant to be a bad thing; it’s just the truth. The Yamadas live in the real world, and they don’t have any special powers. There’s no big over-arching story, aside from a charming family, with little quirks and eccentricities, that really loves each other.
And bonus points for a cameo from the Moonlight Knight!
Exploring the Studio Ghibli Vault
