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Whisper of the Heart
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Editorial Reviews:
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From the creators of the Academy Award(R)-winning SPIRITED AWAY (Best Animated Feature Film, 2002) comes a tale based on the screenplay from the legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki. During summer vacation, a schoolgirl named Shizuku, who longs to discover her true talents, observes an ordinary-looking cat riding by himself on the train. Intrigued, she decides to follow him. This chance encounter leads her to the mysterious Seiji, a boy who is determined to follow his dreams, and The Baron, a magical cat figurine who helps her listen to the whispers in her heart. Soon, Shizuku's exciting adventures carry her far beyond the boundaries of her imagination. Featuring extraordinary storytelling, enchanting animation, and an all-star voice cast, this 2-disc set will inspire dreams and warm hearts of all ages. (c) 1995 Aoi Hiiragi/Shueisha ? Nibariki ? GNH
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Based on a manga by Aoi Hiiragi, the gentle coming-of-age story Whisper of the Heart (1995) was scripted and storyboarded by Hayao Miyazaki, and directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondo. Shizuku Tsukishima is an absent-minded, insecure junior high school student who reads book after book of fairy tales, helps her friends, and does most of her chores, but remains dissatisfied. When she encounters a wonderfully supercilious cat on the train, she follows him and meets Seiji Amasawa, a student in her class who hopes to become a violin maker. Seiji's commitment to his dream helps Shizuku find her voice, literally and figuratively: she realizes she wants to become a writer. A statue of a cat in the antique store of Seiji's kindly grandfather inspires her first story, "Whisper of the Heart." Shizuku and Seiji exhibit believable strengths and flaws: their warm humanity contrasts markedly with the shabby superficiality of the characters in many American animated films. The lively performances of Brittany Snow and David Gallagher transcend the geographic limits of the story to make Shizuku and Seiji the kids the viewer wishes lived next door. Miyazaki's script suggests that a sense of magic can exist, even in everyday Tokyo. Whisper of the Heart was the only film Yoshifumi Kondo directed before his untimely death at age 47, but its understated charm stands as a monument to his talent. (Rated G, suitable for ages 10 and older: tobacco use) --Charles Solomon
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Whisper of the Heart
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User Comments About Whisper of the Heart
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Had been looking for this video and was very happy to find it.came very fast and is in perfect shape.thanks.
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Great Movie I am a big fan of the director I have most of the movies that he is involved in. My package got here very fast to
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Another great one by Hayao
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It was cute and told a story of self-discovery that appeals to all. I really enjoyed this movie, as I do all of Hayao Miyazaki's films. Very well done, and humurous in it's own right. I especially like the musical scene. Very cute.
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Wow, another great film from Studio Ghibli. This is a wonderful story of a young girl who follows a cat and ends up following her dreams. A great story for all.
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3.5 stars is more accurate; good but not spectacular
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Compared to other Studio Ghibli films this was just somewhat boring (most of their films are slow, but this was really slow). After seeing "The Cat Returns" I just had to see the inspiration behind that fantastic movie. I do recommend seeing this at least once if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli or of "The Cat Returns". That being said, I must still say that I did enjoy it. As soon as you hear the words "Virginia and Mountain Mama" you start to wonder why they ever chose the song. I think they could've cut out about 1 hour's worth of filler (numerous scenes of the girl just walking or the entire first portion of the movie that's nothing but her running errands) and still conveyed their message.
I must also say that it is a bit slow. I laughed everytime I heard it because it sounded so out of place in Tokyo. I was prepared from reading previous reviews that "whisper of the Heart" would not be a fantasy laden tale. Overall, it was worth watching at least once to see the origin of "The Cat Returns" and I'm glad I did. Also, I felt the choice of "Country Roads" as a theme song was very out of place in this film. Other than that, the movie is a very touching coming of age story, although the ending was a bit unbelievable.
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