MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (1988)

Forever on my to-be-watched list was My Neighbor Totoro.  Beautifully, simply animated, the film is the story of two young girls, Satsuki and her little sister Mei, who've just relocated to a small but cozy home in the country with their father, to be closer to their ailing mother (currently receiving care in a nearby hospital).  The father/daughters bond in the film is sweet and genuine, the girls happy and eager to explore their new surroundings - and it's when Mei discovers that the nearby forest is the home of mystical creatures who resemble the "Totoros" in one of her picture books do the girls discover a world full of wonder and adventure.  The film is short on plot - there are no "villains" to defeat, or violence or ticking clocks of doom - which makes this terrific, touching, and funny story so much more brilliant; none of that is needed in light of characters you care about, and the smile that wraps itself around your heart as you watch, whether child or adult. (rated G)  A