the 3 Miyazaki Movies

Hayao Miyazaki usually adds something into his movies that relates to his life. The scene from Spirited Away when the girl is helping the giant stink spirit in the tub was related to Miyazaki's life. When Miyazaki was little he lived in front of a river. It was drained and while it was empty workers went into it and pulled things out of the mud.
In Totorro the two girl's mother is sick in the hospital. Miyazaki added this because his mother was sick in the hospital with spinal tuberculosis when he was little. She was sick for 8 years.
Also if you notice, many of Miyazaki's movies take place in some sort of war. In Princess Mononoke Iron Town is in a war with the Samurai.
In most of Miyazaki's movies girls are the main characters. In Totorro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, KiKi's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle, and Nausicaa Valley of the Wind, the main character is a girl. If a girl isn't the main character in one of his movies, then they are usually really outgoing and are almost manly.