Dolby Digital 5.1 (Japanese)

Whisper of the Heart follows Shizuku, a young girl on the cusp of womanhood as she learns to realize her talents and follow her dreams. She harbors deep admiration for Seiji, a mysterious young man, who shares a strange kinship with her that soon blossoms into love. From the start, Shizuku isn’t sure who she is. She indulges in songwriting and reading. It’s the latter hobby that first links her to Seiji. She starts to notice his name in the histories for every library book she checks out. It seems he’s always ...ne step ahead of her, and this observation soon turns to fascination. Once she meets Seiji, her fascination becomes something more. Through their ensuing relationship, Shizuku takes her interests and turns them into dreams. She learns those that never try are the only true failures, and she decides to become what she loves, rather than one, who takes part in hobbies of no consequence.

While Whisper of the Heart is an animated film, it has a head on its shoulders that far surpasses most mainstream films today. It’s likely the narrative will draw in adults more than the little ones – despite the G rating – but there is still something here for children… just not all children. It’s safe to say kids will have to be more advanced to enjoy and understand the depth and layers of this film. Shorter on fantasy than Spirited Away, Whisper carries with it a lot more intelligence than that earlier feature from the same creators. This film, instead of being strictly for kids, is instead for those on the verge of determining their interests and realizing those attributes and preferences can be cultivated into a way of life. Those are the children this film really speaks to. And if you’re an adult like me – the kind that didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, even as he stood up to accept his college diploma – then Whisper of the Heart will speak to you, too.