Takahata changes course once more in this adaptation of Hisaichi Ishii’s beloved slice-of-life manga. Employing a roughly sketched comic strip style, My Neighbors the Yamadas delights in the everyday misadventures of its titular family—dad, mom, older brother, little sister, granny, and Pochi the dog. Punctuated by daydreams and fantasies, Takahata’s film is a heart-warming and honest look at modern family life. 

Director: Isao Takahata. Cast: Yukiji Asaoka, Toru Masuoka. 1999. 104 min. Japan. Color. Japanese. 35mm. 

All film screenings of Everyday Life: The Films of Isao Takahata are available here.