Mirai

Four-year-old Kun has an idyllic existence with two loving parents, a beautiful home, a friendly dog, and lots of toy trains. But when his parents bring home his new baby sister, Mirai, and his mom goes back to work full time, Kun feels as though he’s been forgotten. His sister cries, his parents are tired, and no one has time for him.

Japanese director and writer Mamoru Hosoda got the idea for this brilliantly animated film from his own son’s reaction to a new sister. Mirai is sometimes painfully true to reality for anyone who has been the parent of two young children; just when the mother and father are trying to work through a disagreement, the baby starts crying, Kun melts down into a tantrum, and the dog starts barking, adding to the chaos.

The story jumps into fantasy when the temperamental boy begins to time travel, meeting family members in the future and in the past, including the teenaged version of his little sister. As Kun learns about the lives of his family members, he learns how small events have long-lasting impacts on family history. At the same time, he comes to understand that his actions matter too.

Sweet, funny, and quirky, Mirai offers a warm-hearted and original look at family ties. On disc now. (GKIDS)