You know, I forgot to check around about this after the Oscars, but…what was up with Bill Murray referring to Sofia Coppola as an “American girl” TWICE during his presentation for Lost in Translation? Not having seen the movie, I thought he was quoting something, but someone who’s seen the movie tells me that’s not it.

(He emphasized the word “girl” so much that I knew it wasn’t simply a case of “whatever word came to mind,” so I’m asking.)

Man, I love this movie. I loved it the first time Darin showed it to me (via laserdisc he’d brought back from Japan in 1992, no English subtitles or translation), and I love it every time Sophia watches it. She loves it too.

It’s the story of two young girls, Mei and Satsuke, who move to the countryside so that they can live nearer to the hospital where their mother is staying. Their new house is creaky and dusty—and filled with “dust bunnies,” which are little spirits. They soon discover there are a lot more spirits than that around, including the gigantic teddy-bearish Totoro! Sophia’s favorite is the Cat Bus, of course. Mei and Satsuke’s adventures with the spirits, while at the same time trying to cope with their mother’s illness (never stated, but I think it’s tuberculosis), is charming and fun.

Highly recommended.

Question: The first time I heard the American DVD, I was sure the father was played by Phil Hartman. I haven’t been able to find a cast list, but I have found that one of the voices is Kenneth Hartman. Anyone know if he’s Phil’s brother? (I haven’t found anything on the Web one way or the other, which is why I ask.)

Apparent answer: According to Julia’s stellar info, the Dad isn’t played by Kenneth Hartman, so I am clearly wrong and will now cease and desist.

I have seen Sleeping Beauty approximately 3,294,923 times since last Thursday, when I bought it for Sophia at Costco.

It has not grown on me.

Sophia, of course, loves it. So much so that we’ve watched it twice so far before lunch today. I thought nothing could overcome Dora the Explorer in her heart, but apparently Aurora has done so.

I wish Sophia could have picked a better movie. This one is awful. No, seriously. On just about every level it’s awful. The story is atrocious, from the evil fairy casting what’s probably the weirdest curse in the world to the three fairies hiding the baby in the forest to Prince Philip fighting to get to the Princess…

And the Princess herself. Oh. My. God. The titular character of this flick is as vapid and useless as a box of packing peanuts. In the opening scene her father’s giving her away in marriage to his friend’s kid so that they can unite their kingdoms. Then the three fairies whisk her off to the forest, where apparently she should have starved because the three fairies are completely hopeless at cooking or sewing (as we see in a scene sixteen years later). Then she talks to a strange man in the forest and doesn’t give him her name…but tells him to come to her house in the forest that night. She falls into Maleficient’s evil trance, pricks her finger, falls asleep.

(Every time I read this story to Sophia I stop and ask, “Why do the fairies give Prince Philip the sword and shield? Why don’t they do a little more to help Aurora out directly?”)

But let’s look beyond the story and the characters—and look at the movie itself. The animation in this flick is just terrible. This is not Golden Age quality. In many scenes the background is completely static, with only figure in the foreground animated. Maybe it’s a stylistic choice…but it still looks cheap.

And the songs. Yuck.

Have I mentioned how much I dislike the Princess?

I’ll have to watch this about 8 billion more times though. Or until The Lion King comes out. And boy, won’t you love to read what I have to say about The Lion King (a movie I loathed when it came out, but Sophia is fascinated by Simba and Nala, so we’ll probably have to get it).