My mom is not fond of animation. In her mind, regardless of the content or depth of the storyline, all animation is just cartoons. She can't help but think of Looney Tunes, Disney movies, and other forms of children's entertainment.

I try to get her to watch some of the Japanese animation or some of the animation coming out of Europe. I want her to watch some of this mature animation, animation geared toward adults, because I think she might reconsider her point of view if she did. But I can't get her to come anywhere near it.

I compiled this list of movies in her honor. These are movies that I think might turn her around, that might make her think beyond cartoons when she watches them. And maybe, just maybe she might see them the way I do, as films that potentially have artistic value equal to that of live action (I'm sure there are some out there that disagree). In my mind there are some things animation can do for a story that live action can't, just like there are some things that painting can do for art that photography can't (and vice-versa) Like any medium or form, there is the good and the bad.

I choose to mainly stick with dramas when creating this list, as I think they have a greater chance of inspiring respect in my mother. With science fiction or fantasy, there is a greater risk that my mother would not be able to take it seriously (so no Akira and no Ghost in the Shell, two movies I love despite their flaws). Also, I stayed away from most U.S. animation, as it tends to be Disney inspired. I personally feel that The Iron Giant is a great movie, but my mother would still consider it more cartoon than art. I find it unfortunate that American cinema doesn't take animation more seriously.

Anyway, here's the list:

1. Persepolis, 2007 (France)


Based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novels, this movie is a poignant coming-of-age-story. Marjane is an outspoken young girl who is raised during the Iranian revolution and witnesses how the country changes when Islamic fundamentalists take over the country. The stark black and white animation deftly illuminates the injustice as it is seen through Marjane's eyes.


2. Perfect Blue, 1998 (Japan)


Mima is a retired pop singer, whose sense of reality is shaken when she tries to move into her career as an actress. Things get even more complicated when people start turning up dead and she finds the blood on her own clothes. While slightly disjointed, this is an intense and enjoyable psychological thriller.


3. Princess Mononoke, 1997 (Japan)


In fuedal Japan, Prince Ashitaka is infected with an curse after protecting his village by a poisoned boar/god. He is banished from his home and sent to seek out the spirit of the forest who might heal him. He ends up traveling to a iron mining town, where the people are at war with the gods of the forest. There he meets Princess Mononoke, a girl raised by wolves, fighting along side the animals. While this one is definitely in the fantasy realm, it earns points for its complex characters and complicated politics. Both sides of this battle have valid reasons for staking their claim to this land, and as is in any war, there are no clear villains.


4. Tokyo Godfathers, 2003 (Japan)


Three homeless people--a transvestite, a young girl, and a middle aged bum--find an abandoned infant in a pile of garbage. Together they set out on a quest to return the child to its mother, leading them on an adventure through Christmas-time Tokyo. A light comedy about hope, forgiveness, and redemption.


5. Graveyard of the Fireflies, 1988 (Japan)


After their mother is killed in an air raid in war torn Japna, brother and sister Setsuko and Seita are sent to live with relatives. But a quarrel with their aunt forces the two out into the world where they have to survive on their own. Food and comfort is in short supply for them, but they manage to find entertainment in the light of the fireflies. This movie is one of the most emotionally moving movies I've seen, animated or otherwise, and it left me an emotional wreck for hours afterward.


I know that there are many films I missed (The Last Unicorn, Watership Down, Metropolis, Steamboy, Cowboy Beebop: The Movie, The Tripplettes of Bellville, Animatrix, etc.). I've seen a lot animated films, but it's a tiny drop in the bucket compared to how many are out there. If you think there’s a gateway anime (or animation in general) that I missed, I would love to hear about it. I’m always looking for new animated films to try to talk my mother into seeing.