Tonari No Totoro (aka My Neighbor Totoro) (1988)

A university professor (Shigesato Itoi) and his two daughters (Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto) move to a rural area outside Tokyo to be closer to their mother (Sumi Shimamoto) who is in the hospital recovering from a long term illness. One day in the nearby forest, the youngest daughter (Sakamoto) discovers a huge furry creature she names Totoro. Written and directed by the masterful Hayao Miyazaki, this is an absolutely adorable piece of animated fantasy. As one expects from a Miyazaki film, the animation is gorgeous. Vivid and vibrant with both fantastical and realistic elements effortlessly coexisting. The child Mei (Sakamoto) is the most precious of Miyazaki's child characters. It's a touching slice of tenderness that celebrates the innocence of childhood as well as the bond between siblings. Apparently in Japan, the character of Totoro is well known so it plays differently to western audiences. I watched the original Japanese language version but there is an English dub with the Fanning sisters, Dakota and Elle voicing the two young sisters. As usual, a lovely underscore by Joe Hisaishi.