Ghibli at GFC 2025: My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
- Tue, May 13
- Wed, May 14
- Thu, May 15
- Fri, May 16
Director: Isao Takahata Run Time: 104 min. Rating: PG Release Year: 1999 Language: Japanese
Starring: Hayato Isohata, Masako Araki, Naomi Uno, Toru Masuoka, Yukiji Asaoka
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese with English subtitles | Matinee screenings presented in English
A Film Center tradition, embark on a magical journey into the enchanting world of Studio Ghibli with Ghibli at GFC 2025 this spring.
About the film:
In My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), join in the adventures of the quirky Yamada family — from the hilarious to the touching — brilliantly presented in a unique, visually striking comic strip style. Takashi Yamada and his wacky wife Matsuko, who has no talent for housework, navigate their way through the ups and downs of work, marriage, and family life with a sharp-tongued grandmother who lives with them, a teenage son who wishes he had cooler parents, and a pesky daughter whose loud voice is unusual for someone so small. Even the family dog has issues!
The English voice-cast includes performances by Jim Belushi, Molly Shannon, Daryl Sabara, and David Ogden Stiers.
Based on the yonkoma manga “Nono-chan” by Hisaichi Ishii, it is the first completely digital Studio Ghibli film. Takahata wanted Yamada-kun to have the art style of watercolor pictures rather than cel pictures. To achieve that, the traditional paint-on-cel techniques were replaced with digital technology, making Yamada-kun the first Ghibli film to have animation drawings painted entirely on computers.
About the filmmaker:
A key figure in Japanese animation, Isao Takahata co-founded the internationally renowned Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki in 1985. Known for his sophisticated, character-driven animations and diverse range of themes and aesthetic styles, Takahata has crafted fantastical and imaginative worlds, including his feature directorial debut The Little Norse Prince (1968). He directed five films with Studio Ghibli: Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), and the universally acclaimed Academy Award-nominated The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013).
See our upcoming films