Hayao Miyazaki's films capture goodness and kindness like no other filmmaker. He puts the magic of living and growing up into each hand drawn frame. Few animation directors actually animate on their films; Miyazaki draws thousands of frames himself. His personal touch washes over all his films and if there has ever been an animation director who could be called an auteur, he would be it. He's the perfect filmmaker to bring us tales of magic, because he's a real life magician.
And this is certainly a tale of magic. Kiki (Japanese voice: Minami Takayama, English voice: Kirsten Dunst) is a 13-year-old witch in training. It's her time to leave her mom and dad and find a witch-less city to serve. With her witty best friend, the black cat Jiji (Japanese voice: Rei Sakuma, English voice: Phil Hartman), accompanying her, they settle in a town by the sea. When she clumsily swoops into town, she certainly makes an impression, especially on the aeronautics-obsessed teen Tombo (Japanese voice: Kappei Yamaguchi, English voice: Matthew Lawrence). A chance encounter with the baker Osono (Japanese voice: Keiko Toda, English voice: Tress MacNeille) leads her to setting up a delivery service — a pretty good job when you can whisk away on a broom over the traffic.
This sweet coming-of-age story deals with issues of self-doubt. Kiki is nervous around Tombo because she doesn't have pretty dresses or talk like the other boy crazed girls in town. Ironically, it's her uniqueness that attracts him to her. But her friendship with the artist Ursula (Japanese voice: Minami Takayama, English voice: Janeane Garofalo) brings out her best.
As for the English voice cast, Dunst brings the right notes. She's polite, kind and eager, but easily discouraged by rudeness and snobbery. Hartman is especially perfect for her companion Jiji. With great charm, he is the right dose of comic relief and a good counterpoint to Kiki's feelings. When Kiki first tells him about Ursula, he has the funniest and most unexpected line in the film.
While this story is about a young witch, the real magic is in the humanity that Miyazaki brings to his films. With his fellow animators, there is better subtly in acting in their moving paintings than in so many live-action films. As always, their attention to detail brings humor and an understanding of the rhythms of life. One of the details that struck me was Miyazaki's use of sound. Musical cues create laughs, as well as comment on the mood of the characters. Notice the simple scene when Kiki runs to the bathroom. At the end, his use of quiet is like a thunderclap to the heart.
Miyazaki's tale has a subtle message that reminded me of those in THE WIZARD OF OZ and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Kiki is responsible, polite and kind, unlike the spoiled little girls of the town. She takes pride in her work, which makes her friends with adults, but the scorn of pampered teens. As often is the case, Kiki doubts herself because of the other kids her age. But look what her independence and originality bring her in the end. The same can be said of Miyazaki-san as well.
Buy "Kiki's Delivery Service" Here!
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
