My Neighbour Totoro is a film written and directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. The film was released in Japan in 1988, with an English dub released by Fox Video in 1993. After Disney obtained the rights to all Studio Ghibli films, past and present, it was then re-dubbed and re-released in 2006. This is the only Studio Ghibli film to date to have more than one dub.

The film is about Satsuki and Mei, an older and younger sister, respectively. They move out to the countryside with their father after their mother becomes quite ill. Mei is a very adventurous young girl, and when she's wandering around the yard one day, she follows a strange creature into the woods where she happens upon Totoro, spirit of the forest.

This is one of the very first films I ever remember seeing. My brother and I used to rent the VHS so frequently that the Blockbuster employee eventually just gave it to us! (Boy, that sentence really ages me!) I have since bought it on DVD where it remains in my collection to this day.

Many people have come up with some pretty strange, twisted theories behind the supposed "true meaning" of the film. I see it as a simple fantasy film, with the two children looking for comfort and distraction in a time of need. It's a lovely family feature suitable for all ages, with beautiful, hand drawn animation which has stood the test of time.

The film is rated G and has a running time of 88 minutes.