So this week is spring break for William and Aaron. We don't have the money to spend on a vacation or even a day trip, so I was trying to think of fun "special" things to do with the kids. Since it has been raining for the entire break thus far, we have to stick to indoor activities. I thought, if we had the money, we would probably go somewhere and stay overnight. So I thought a "sleepover" in the living room would be fun. We pulled out pillows and blankets for the kids and popped popcorn and sat back with them to watch the new animated film "Ponyo."
Ponyo is a variation of the story of the Little Mermaid. She is a magical little fish/girl who is found by a human boy. The two of them form a fast friendship. They are separated when Ponyo's father comes to take her back to the ocean. Ponyo is such a funny little creature! She uses her magic to change into a little girl and find her friend. She is so silly and cute! If Leonora met Ponyo, I think they would be best friends. We were all giggling outloud at her excitement. The director, Hayao Miyazaki has a special gift for portraying children in true form. It was certainly a fun movie for Aaron and I and the kids. I was also pleasantly surprised that there is a reference to breastfeeding when Ponyo wants to feed soup to a baby. The mother says the baby is too young, but she will eat the soup and it will help her make milk for the baby. It's so rare to see breastfeeding portrayed in such an honest and simple way. It seems that most movies and tv shows like to turn it into a joke. Ponyo then insists on giving the mother more food "for milk." In spite of all her silly antics, she does want to be helpful. The themes are about being in balance with nature and loving each other in all our forms. The characters are lovable and realistic. The animation (as with all Ghibli films) is truly art.
After watching Ponyo, the two older kids camped out in the living room. Aaron and I were a little bit of party poopers and decided to sleep in our own beds! I think it's safe to say that Ponyo will be a new favorite for our kids.
Here's a trailer that shows some of Ponyo's personality:
4 comments:
Thank you for sharing this! I hadn't heard of this movie and it really looks delightful!
And what a creative way to have inexpensive indoor fun. Your little ones are so cute and so lucky--you two are such great parents!
That's funny because Anderson got the japanese version about 6 months ago and the kids love it! They don't understand what they are saying but they get the just of it by their actions. It is a very cute movie. This is coming from someone that doesn't like Japanese animation
Thanks Heidi, you're very sweet!
Andrea, I wish I could understand it in Japanese. It's always better in the original language, but I still loved it in English. I don't care for most Japanese animation, but this particular director is an exception.
Elora LOVES Ponyo. We watch it like, everyday. Seriously. At least its replaced Naussica, Chihiro, and Castle in the Sky for a while!
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