The Secret World of Arrietty
Release Date:
February 17, 2012
Sixty years ago, Mary Norton wrote a children’s story entitled The Borrowers. To say that this tale made an impact would be underselling the matter. The Borrowers was immediately lauded with the Carnegie Medal, given annually to the single best children’s literature written by an English scribe. There is such dramatic competition for this prize that even J.K. Rowling has never won, although she was twice nominated.
The Borrowers tells the story of a bunch of little people - and I don’t mean dwarfs, I mean bug-sized creatures with human features. In order to sustain themselves, these “Borrowers” steal from the exponentially larger humans in order to sustain themselves. Problems begin when a sickly 14-year-old visits his great-aunt. Once this boy notices a similarly aged Borrower for the first time, both their lives are changed forever.
Over the years, The Borrowers has been adapted into a live action Hallmark made-for-television movie, and later as a well received 1997 live action feature starring John Goodman. This project is different for one simple reason. The Secret World of Arrietty is the next project from Studio Ghibli. The storied Japanese animation house releases movies only once every few years, which means each one is a treasure to be savored.
As such, if you have interest in this movie listing, The Secret World of Arrietty has probably been on your radar for years. It should be an instant classic and a potential candidate for awards season consideration. More importantly, this is a movie that should put a song in the hearts of our children, which is why we love movies in the first place. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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