Ponyo

[caudex]

Hi, I lurk a lot, but somehow only find reasons to post here, despite having no children...

I just wanted to tell you all that I just watched the Japanese, substitled version of Ponyo, which is out in the US (in English) on Friday. In case you were wondering, there is no violence, no real suspense, a villian who really isn't a villian, and basically an hour and a half of explode-your-brain cuteness. If the dub is half as good, should be pretty good for little ones of any age.

Anyway, the reason it belongs HERE is that there is a scene (not really a spoiler but...) where the two protagonists (the little kids) are in a boat and encounter a stranded couple with a baby. Ponyo offers some soup and is upset when the mama takes it, insisting she meant it for the baby. Mama says the baby is too little to have it, but if I eat it I can make milk for her. Then the little boy chimes in that it's okay, he used to drink his mother's milk, too.:

I did a little happy dance. It was just unexpected, and so awesome to see! I don't know how Disney will handle it, (hopefully they won't feel the need to edit in a bottle or something...) but I was hoping some of you who might take your little ones to see it could report back, and if it made the cut, we could flood Disney with emails to let them know how glad we are that they weren't afraid to leave it in and make the statement that there's nothing wrong with a mom feeding her baby.

[Leilamus]

That's awesome!!! I hope it's in the US theater version. We're HUGE Miyazaki fans here. To the point that DH and I are going to see Ponyo next week together on date night while the kids stay home with my mom. DS#2 is too little for sitting through a movie still and DS#1 (6yo) doesn't want to see it. I'm really looking forward to it! I'll report back if no one else has seen it by the time I do.

[Jojo F.]

That's awsome!!

Can't wait to see this one!! I absolutely LOVED Spirited Away, way more then my then 5yo

[Romana]

My favorite is Castle in the Sky. Can't wait to see this one too.

[greeny]

Awesome!!!! =)

We've been looking forward to seeing it all week long. (We're going tomorrow!!) Huge Miyazaki fans here too.

[Minarai]

I'm kinda leery about this...
From what I've heard, Studio Ghibli has broken from its "no cuts, no alteration" policy for this movie and this may be one of the scenes that's on the chopping block (for obvious reasons *cough*indecency*cough*).
I've already decided to boycott the film, since it's obvious Hayao Miyazaki's moral compass is in shambles and God only knows what his son Goro (whom he has appointed as successor) is going to let slip through the quality filter.

[greeny]

From what I've heard, Studio Ghibli has broken from its "no cuts, no alteration" policy for this movie and this may be one of the scenes that's on the chopping block (for obvious reasons *cough*indecency*cough*).

Nope. Still in there!

[chiromamma]

I was racing to this message board to post about it!
I loved that scene.
And the whole movie was just SO CUTE.
My too-cool -for- G -rated- movies teen was enchanted! She's downstaris drawing Ponyo.

[greeny]

I loved that scene.

Me too! And then Ponyo gave the mom the sandwiches and said, "Here's some more milk!" It was really cute.

[Minarai]

Originally Posted by greeny

Nope. Still in there!

That doesn't mean the reference wasn't removed from the dialogue. By contract, Disney is forbidden from visually editing Studio Ghibli's films, but judging from some research I've just done, they've been allowed to modify the plot and dialogue with very few restrictions. For example, Castle in the Sky originally contained references to Treasure Island and Gulliver's Travels (aside from the title) and Porco Rosso had multiple cultural references softened or removed.
And don't even get me started about Pom Poko.

[LuckyTrish]

Awww it was fantastic! I mentioned to my DH that I was hoping they wouldn't edit that part out, and he got a laugh out of the huge smile on my face when they didn't! :

It was a really cute movie overall, but I will have to say Totoro is still my fav!

[Minarai]

Originally Posted by LuckyTrish

Awww it was fantastic! I mentioned to my DH that I was hoping they wouldn't edit that part out, and he got a laugh out of the huge smile on my face when they didn't! :

It was a really cute movie overall, but I will have to say Totoro is still my fav!

Did they actually leave in the dialogue in question or replace it with subtle "hints" that they thought little kids wouldn't get? I find it hard to swallow that Disney would allow mention of breastfeeding, especially in a movie targeted at children.

[umbrella]

Big Miyazaki fans in this house too. Some of them are a little weird, if you ask me But the family as a whole really loves them.

[tankgirl73]

Well that's all well and good about the mom's milk bit. But in Kiki's Delivery Service there's a scene where Asono runs out of the bakery with a pacifier left by a customer, "oh no, that lady forgot her baby's pacifier, now the baby will wake up and cry all the way home." Said lady and baby were then found by Kiki, baby crying it up in the stroller while mom calmy walks along pushing it.

Heaven forbid she tries to soothe her baby, or carry it (I know I'd be expecting far too much to expect a sling instead of a stroller lol), rather than just letting it cry, but what really annoys me (because I know it's just a movie) is that it showcases the misconception that babies NEED pacifiers, that they need them so badly that they WILL wake up and cry without one. And that this is generally believed without question by society.

So it's a matter of the film reflecting societal attitudes that bug me, rather than it supporting or stating anything blatantly. But yeah, it bugs me.

DH is a *huge* Miyazaki fan, I've endured watching them all, many times over. Totoro I can appreciate. Most of the rest of it, I just find self-indulgent and repetitive -- he really just keeps doing the same things over and over. I know I'm probably alone in this opinion lol...

[jjawm]

I just saw this today, and loved the part about mama's milk! What an awesome film.

[philomom]

Yes, I was racing to find this forum, too. The scene was awesome and full of explanation of how the food makes milk and gets through the mama to the baby. If every child in America could hear that information from this film... that would be so cool.

[loraxc]

I thought it was a pretty darn clear reference, and I was very pleased!

[greeny]

Did they actually leave in the dialogue in question or replace it with subtle "hints" that they thought little kids wouldn't get? I find it hard to swallow that Disney would allow mention of breastfeeding, especially in a movie targeted at children.

The dialogue was in there almost exactly as the OP suggested. To quote it again, it's something like this:

Ponyo offers mug of soup, that mom takes and drinks. Ponyo gets mad that mom is drinking the soup. She says that she wanted to give it to the baby.

Mom says something like, "Oh, he's too young for soup. He can only drink milk. But if I eat the soup, if helps me make more milk for him to drink."

Little boy says something like, "My mom used to make milk for me too!"

A little while later, as they are leaving, Ponyo offers some sandwiches to the mom and says, "Here's some more milk! This is for your milk!" or something like that.

Again, I am not quoting exactly right, I'm sure, but that's really close to what I remember from the film.

But it was VERY clear that they were referring to breastfeeding even though the term "breastfeeding" wasn't mentioned.

[Minarai]

Originally Posted by greeny

The dialogue was in there almost exactly as the OP suggested. To quote it again, it's something like this:

Ponyo offers mug of soup, that mom takes and drinks. Ponyo gets mad that mom is drinking the soup. She says that she wanted to give it to the baby.

Mom says something like, "Oh, he's too young for soup. He can only drink milk. But if I eat the soup, if helps me make more milk for him to drink."

Little boy says something like, "My mom used to make milk for me too!"

A little while later, as they are leaving, Ponyo offers some sandwiches to the mom and says, "Here's some more milk! This is for your milk!" or something like that.

Again, I am not quoting exactly right, I'm sure, but that's really close to what I remember from the film.

But it was VERY clear that they were referring to breastfeeding even though the term "breastfeeding" wasn't mentioned.

Well... it was close enough.

[caudex]

Originally Posted by Minarai

Well... it was close enough.

I guess I don't understand the eye roll. For the target audience (children probably from 3-10?) that was a pretty accurate and easily understandable explanation. Mom eats, she makes milk, she feeds the baby. That might even be more exposure than many adults get!

I think that even if they were open to the idea, a detailed and anatomically correct lecture on the matter doesn't fit in the movie. This was sweet, matter-of-fact, and snuck in a little information. How would you change it?

Thanks for reporting back everyone! I'm so glad that it made it in!