I didn¡¯t start crying until the final frame of ¡°The Boy and the Heron.¡± It was just a line of text, the final name in the film¡¯s credit roll, that brought unexpected tears to my eyes: ¡°Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.¡±
To get the chance to see one more film by a director whose oeuvre has had such an impact on my moviegoing life and career ¡ª a decade after the release of what was supposed to be his final film ¡ª was like finishing off a box of chocolates only to discover a secret compartment with more treats inside.
I first encountered Hayao Miyazaki in 1999, when ¡°Princess Mononoke¡± was released in the United States. At age 13, sitting next to my father in a theater in Denver, Colorado, I was transported to a world beyond my imagination. I didn¡¯t know animation could do that, and I¡¯m still amazed it can.
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