With the same adventurous, coming-of-age spirit of Kiki’s Delivery Service, the newest anime product of Studio Ghibli entertains in the way only Miyazaki knows how. What They Say:
Residing quietly beneath the floorboards are little people who live undetected in a secret world to be discovered, where the smallest may stand tallest of all. From the legendary Studio Ghibli (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”) comes “The Secret World of Arrietty,” an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers.”
Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
As a longtime fan of the movies by Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, it didn’t take much convincing to get me to go check out The Secret World of Arrietty on opening night. Based on the 1952 English children’s novel The Borrowers by Mary Norton, The Secret World of Arrietty finds a wonderful balance between the themes of the novel and the imaginative magic that is the hallmark of any Miyazaki movie (even if he only wrote it and didn’t direct). Reminiscent of Kiki’s Delivery Service in tone and theme, The Secret World of Arrietty is a delight from start to finish, sure to entertain the child in all of us.
Living under the floor of an old house, down a quiet county road, are Pod, Homily, and Arrietty—a family of Borrowers. Borrowers are tiny people who “borrow” food, knick-knacks, and other small items from human “beans” in order to survive. They hide in every nook and cranny the human eye can’t see, and only take what they need and what the Beans won’t miss. At one time, many Borrowers lived in this house, but Arrietty’s family is all that is left.
She is too excited to worry about that right now, however. She has just turned fourteen, and it is now time to begin accompanying her father and learn the art of Borrowing. Not liking to be stuck in the box they call a home, she has ventured out on her own sometimes, but never too far. Now she is getting the opportunity to explore the entire house, and she quickly proves that she is a natural at it. But before her adventure can end in complete success, she is seen by a young boy who is new to the household. While he tries to assure her that he has no wish to harm them, once seen, Borrowers must move on before natural human curiosity takes over and threatens their existence.
At its heart, The Secret World of Arrietty is a coming-of-age story. Arrietty is still a child, but circumstances are forcing her to grow up quickly in order to protect her family. She considers it her own fault that the family is forced to move, but while she accepts her fate, she finds herself drawn to the boy (Shawn) and is desperate to trust him when he tries to help out. It is part of what makes Arrietty such a great protagonist. She is growing up and has a strong sense of her responsibilities, but her youthful exuberance allows her to take the risks that her parents would never dream of taking.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlMe7PavaRQ]
She’s also fascinating from a personality perspective. As can be typical of an only female child, Arrietty has a bit of a tom-boyish flair. She has spent her whole life yearning to join in the Borrowing (man’s work) that she often doesn’t pay close attention to detail in the domestic chores (woman’s work). While her mother is content to stay back and perform the traditional role of a wife and mother, Arrietty would rather join her father in exploring the house for the materials they need.
And yet despite this, she never really loses her sense of being a girl. She enjoys dressing up, even when she’s out Borrowing, and she’s not completely lost when helping her mother. She is a protagonist who breaks the traditional barriers of gender roles without forgetting the parts of being a girl that she enjoys. While many tomboys in fiction are female in biology only, she is most definitely a female that wants more than her stereotype wants to allow her.
For this, I’d compare Arrietty to Kiki—the titular protagonist of the early Miyazaki title, Kiki’s Delivery Service. In fact, when it comes to themes, The Secret World of Arrietty is very similar to Kiki’s Delivery Service. For starters, both Arrietty and Kiki are young, willful girls thrust into situations where they are forced to begin thinking and acting beyond their years. For Kiki, it is learning to survive on her own and deal with failure; for Arrietty, it’s learning to bear the responsibility for her mistakes and come through for her family when they need her most.
They are very similar in tone as well. Like Kiki, The Secret World of Arrietty is a movie filled with child-like wonder. It isn’t quite as innocent as a movie like My Neighbor Totoro, because Arrietty is older and faces greater danger, but there is still that same sense of curiosity and the joys of discovery. I’ve never really been able to describe the feeling of a Miyazaki movie, but if you have seen one, then you know what I am talking about. There is a scene right after Arrietty is seen where she picks up a woodlouse, which promptly rolls into a ball for protection, and she lightly tosses it in the air as one might a basketball. It’s a beautiful scene that envelops the world and everything that is happening to Arrietty perfectly, and it epitomizes the feeling that Miyazaki puts into his movies. Miyazki didn’t direct The Secret World of Arrietty, but I have no doubt that he gave a lot of input to Hiromasa Yonebayashi (who made his directorial debut here).
What this all means is that while Arrietty faces all sorts of danger and disaster, there’s never a point in the movie where the viewers feel any real fear. As a writer and writing teacher, I’d normally say that is a huge problem, but that’s not the point in Miyazaki’s movies. We’re supposed to feel more interested in the unique ways his heroes and heroines solve their problems. So even when Homily is captured by the housekeeper Hara, we don’t panic and instead just sit back and enjoy the bravery and ingenuity of Arrietty to put everything right again.
In Summary:
I have always struggled to discuss Hayao Miyazaki’s movies rationally, particularly the juvenile and children’s movies. They touch me on a level so deep, that I really can’t find the words to accurately describe it. The Secret World of Arrietty is no different. From the moment the movie started to the very end of the credits, I was completely absorbed by the world and the atmosphere. It was delightful and brilliant and my only regret was that it was over. If I could, I’d already have the BluRay release preordered. If you like Miyazaki, then you need to see this. If you haven’t experienced Miyazaki, then you also need to see this. You won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended.
Content Grade: A+
Readers’ Rating: [ratings]
Released By: Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date: February 17th, 2012
Running Time: 94 Minutes
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