The Secret World of Arriety

[Bearcata]

The Secret World of Arrietty Review | Movie Reviews and News | EW.com

Details Release Date: Feb 17, 2012; Rated: G; Length: 94 Minutes; Genre: Animation; With: Will Arnett, Carol Burnett and Amy Poehler; Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
The Secret World of Arrietty, about a teeny-size 14-year-old girl who lives with her family beneath the *floorboards of a big house and the human-size boy who befriends her, is adapted from British author Mary Norton's wonderful *children's fantasy novels, The Borrowers. The lyrical animation, with its meditative attention to nature, bears the unique stamp of Japan's Studio Ghibli, cofounded by the great *Spirited Away animator Hayao Miyazaki. The result is a dreamy, soft-edged hybrid, equally interested in observing *raindrops and the worries of a race of *minuscule beings.

A Studio Ghibli release. The first hour is a little slow but the story picks up in the last half hour. I agree with the EW grade of B+. It is a beautifully created animated film, and you can see that Hayao Miyazaki is enamored of the post 50's idyllic childhood world he has created which is a mix of American innocence and Japanese countryside which is an interesting setting for Mary Norton's book "The Borrowers" that was set in an English manor when India was still part of the British Empire. I did like how the story developed and the underlying theme of not giving up and being true to yourself and living the best you can regardless of the time you have.

[PWS]

I read one review that referred to the "hopeless love" of the human boy for the girl...did you see t hat as a theme?

[Bearcata]

You could possible read that in, but I think it was much more of an invalid boy who thought that he wouldn't live long, was facing an operation that he might not survive, his parents just divorced and he was sent off to the country with his grandmother, he is feeling alone, vulnerable, friendless and lonely and just needed a friend. Also his friendship with Arriety gave him hope to fight for his life.

[Bearcata]

Rotten Tomatoes has given this movie a 94%.

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Domestic gross as of March 18, 2012 is $18,019,366.

This film was released in July of 2010 and has grossed "FOREIGN TOTAL - 7/17/10 $10,223,318 8.1% $126,368,084 3/6/11" which as you can see are the figures from a year ago.

[Bearcata]

As of March 25, 2012 this movie has made $144,642,413 worldwide.