lit. ‘Memories Come Tumbling Down’ is a 1991 Japanese animated film. Written & directed by Isao Miyazaki. It is based on the 1982 manga of the same title by Hotaru Okamoto & Yuko Tone.
It tells the story of Taeko, the third daughter in the family. Her school, classmates in grade fifth, all come to her when travelling away from Tokyo. In the country-side she stays with her sister’s in-laws, finds real joy.
It was released on July 20, 1991. It was a surprise box office success, attracting a large adult audience & becoming the highest grosser Japanese film of 1991 in the country.
Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 100 % rating. To celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, it was released in an English language format on Feb 26, 2018. featuring voices of Daisy Ridley, Dev Patel, Alison Fernandez with others.
On August 31, 2020 it was announced a live -action special based on manga aired on subchannels in Jan 2021. The special would be about a 64 year old Taeko & her daughter & grand daughter.
Roger Ebert gave the film a very favorable review in his essay. ‘a touching, melancholy meditation on the life of the same woman at age 10 & 27’. Glenn Kenny says, ‘Like Kaguya, it functions as a highly sensitive & emphatic consideration of the situation of women in Japanese society – But it’s also a breathtaking work of art on it’s own’.
The ten year old finding maths difficult, unable to solve fractions, bullied by elder sisters. Appreciated by the audience for a small role of the ‘first village girl’ & getting an offer to take part in a play by university students. Her father refusing to let her go.
Or when she is asking for a purse & throwing tantrums gets a tight slap from her father. Going out to eat Chinese. Finally she is left out of the plan & stays at home with Granny.
These instances are universal. They can happen anywhere in the world. The film becomes your journey in no time. The audience empathize with it, in no time. That the secret why it was appreciated.
Asian Entertainment 