Kiki’s Delivery Service
Released in theaters on July 29, 1989
Released on HBO Max May 27, 2020
Runtime: 1 Hours 43 Minutes
Rated G
On her thirteenth birthday Kiki, a witch in training, leaves home to find her own way in the world, as is witch tradition. In this coming of age story Kiki meets new friends and discovers things about herself she didn’t know as she opens her own delivery service. Kristen Dunst plays the voice of Kiki and Phil Hartman plays the voice of her black cat, Jiji.
Themes:
Coming of age, friendship, discovering oneself, witches, flying brooms, painting/art, setting out on your own, flirting, crushes, cats, believing in oneself, trust, finding your inspiration, serving others, generosity, finding passion in what you do, zeppelins, and baking.
Language:
Outside of some name calling (snooty and stupid) there isn’t any bad language.
Stuff to be aware of:
One character gets confused as a boy due to her clothing and says, “no boy has legs like this.” There is some flirting and a boy seems to have a crush on Kiki. Jiji falls in love with another cat and there is a clip of him and her with kittens. There is some slight peril as an zeppelin takes off incorrectly with a boy attached to it. He is in trouble because he could fall to his death. Spoiler - No one dies. Kiki crashes into a tree at one point and a crow gets upset with her. Kiki’s bloomers are seen in some scenes as she is flying.
The only “witch stuff” in the movie is Kiki rides a magic broom, her mom makes potions/medicines, and one character mentions fortune telling.
Overall:
This is another classic Studio Ghibli film. My girls have watched it multiple times over the years. It is one of their favorites. It’s a cute coming of age story with magic sprinkled in. It’s not my favorite Studio Ghibli film, but it’s a good one. It has some good morales in it such as believing in yourself, staying true to yourself, helping others, valuing friendships, being passionate about what you do, and being generous. Also, props for having a pregnant character!