Based on the classic children’s book by Mary Norton called “The Borrowers,” the story of 4-inch-tall people who live under the floorboards of regular human’s homes, “The Secret World of Arrietty” touts bewitching hand-drawn animation with soft colors, and a sweet, charming and thought-provoking story about friendship, love, inspiration and differences. The book, which first came out in 1952, is a winner of a prestigious Carnegie Melon prize.
Arrietty is a young girl who is one of the Borrowers who live under the floors of a beautiful country home with her mother and father. A young boy who is ignored by his wealthy family has come to the home, that belongs to a kindly relative, to rest before having heart surgery that may or may not save his life. The little people get the name “Borrowers” because they secretly move about the homes in which they live taking small bits of food and other necessities they require to exist.
The most important basic rule of a Borrower is that once they are spotted by a human, they must move immediately, lest they endanger their existence. However, when Arrietty is seen by the sickly young boy, a gradual assimilation occurs that challenges the assumption that humans and borrowers are necessarily incompatible.
A outstanding vocal cast lead by Carol Burnett as a mean-spirited housekeeper who is no friend of the Borrowers helps assemble this gentle and beautiful story with great heart and emotion. Others in the vocal cast include Amy Poehler and Will Arnett.
“The Secret World of Arrietty” is a product of the noted Japanese animation studio Ghibli, which has business ties to Disney. Like “The Artist” did for non-animated films, “Secret” takes us back to the roots of classic animation and the essence of perfection in the art. A project of noted Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, this film has beautiful appeal and a story that while simple, is still positively captivating.
