A Film by Hiromasa Yonebayashi
For a while, The Secret World of Arrietty was one of two Ghibli films I had ever seen in the theater, with the other being Ponyo, until last year. I used to live in a small college town and our theater, despite being somewhat large, almost always refused to play anything outside of the big Hollywood blockbusters. Somehow, our anime club was able to basically request it from the company and they aired it for one showing only, albeit months after the actual limited release. It’s crazy that nowadays my son and I can just waltz into our local AMC and have multiple days, multiple languages, and other choices at our disposal. So here I am, almost fifteen years later, and I’m finally getting to see one of my favorite non-Miyazaki Ghibli films yet again!
“While spending the summer at his aunt’s house, the young but sickly Shou makes an amazing discovery: after following the house cat into the bushes, he gets a glimpse of a miniature girl about the size of his finger! Calling her kind “Borrowers,” as they survive on tiny bits of human possessions, the girl introduces herself as Arrietty. As he discovers that she lives in the house basement with her parents, Pod and Homily, Shou becomes imaginably excited at the idea of such unique neighbors.”
There’s almost always some sort of special bonus featurette before or after these films, with a lot of them containing clips from a documentary about Hayao Miyazaki or various music videos. This film, however, had a fun little documentary talking about the Ghibli theme park located near Nagakute, Aichi, Japan. If airline travel wasn’t extremely expensive for travel to Japan, this would be a “bucket list” thing for me to visit, and I was happy to see it featured before the movie.
Studio Ghibli’s Arrietty is a visually stunning adaptation of Mary Norton’s classic children’s book series, The Borrowers. Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and produced by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, this film brings to life the whimsical world of tiny people living undetected in the nooks and crannies of a typical human household. Have you ever noticed that things sometimes go missing? Do you hear weird noises at night? That could be the work of The Borrowers just trying to get by in a hostile world so alien to us normal-sized people. As with any Studio Ghibli production, Arrietty is a testament to their reputation for meticulous animation, rich storytelling, and heartwarming character development.
The story revolves around Arrietty, a young borrower who lives with her parents, Pod and Homily, beneath the floorboards of a suburban house. Borrowers are tiny people who survive by “borrowing” items from humans, taking only what they need to live. Arrietty’s world changes when she is discovered by a sickly human boy named Sho (or Shawn in the English dub), who is staying at the house to rest before undergoing heart surgery.
Despite the dangers, an unlikely friendship blossoms between Arrietty and Sho, challenging the borrower’s rule of never being seen by humans. For a fantasy film, Arrietty captures the quiet beauty of everyday moments, making the world feel both magical and grounded rather than the more epic fantasy films the studio is sometimes known for. For the most part, it has the same sort of quaint vibe as My Neighbor Totoro which is perhaps my favorite Ghibli film, so it’s no wonder I enjoy Arrietty so much.
Arrietty marks the directorial debut of Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who at one time had the distinction of being the youngest Ghibli director. He has since earned an Academy Award nomination for his follow-up film When Marnie Was There, and later was a founder of Studio PONOC, made up of other former Ghibli staffers that broke off when it appeared Ghibli would close. Before taking the helm, Yonebayashi had been a key animator for films such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Ponyo.
Yonebayashi’s approach to Arrietty is rooted by a deep respect for the source material of the original novels, perhaps being one of Ghibli’s truest adaptations. Yes, there are key differences between this film and the book, or other films based on the story, but one would be hard-pressed to come away from this not realizing it was a Borrowers story. Yonebayashi balances the film’s quiet, introspective moments with sequences of thrilling adventure, creating a film that highlights the beauty in everyday life and the courage found in small acts of bravery.
As nearly always, I ended up watching this in English because I generally like anime dubs and my son has trouble reading subtitles. The English dub of Arrietty is handled with a lot of care, featuring a talented cast. I guess there is another English dub of this film that was released in the UK that I have never heard. Apparently it stars the likes of Tom Holland and Saoirse Ronan.
- Arrietty is voiced by Bridgit Mendler
- Sho (Shawn) is voiced by David Henrie
- Pod, Arrietty’s father, is voiced by Will Arnett.
- Homily, Arrietty’s mother, is voiced by Amy Poehler.
- Hara, the housekeeper, is voiced by Carol Burnett.
Arrietty stands out as a beautifully crafted film that resonates with both children and adults alike. Even with the film being made by someone other than Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata, it definitely stands out as one of the better films in the studio’s entire library. I can easily see why Hiromasa Yonebayashi has gone on to such great things with Studio PONOC, and considering this was his directorial debut, it makes it that much more impressive. The US English voice cast does a great job and continues the trend of strong Ghibli English dubs. In closing, Arrietty is a gentle reminder of the magic that lies in the ordinary and the connections that can bridge even the smallest of divides.
That’s it for now, join me again soon when I review the sixth screening from Ghibli Fest 2024, When Marnie was There
