IMDb > The Secret of NIMH (1982)
The Secret of NIMH
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The Secret of NIMH (1982) More at IMDbPro »

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The Secret of NIMH (1982) -- A society of genetically altered rats comes to the aid of a mouse whose family is threatened by civilization. Animated.

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   8,836 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

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Director:

Don Bluth

Writers:

Robert C. O'Brien (novel)
Don Bluth (story) ...
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Contact:

View company contact information for The Secret of NIMH on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

2 July 1982 (USA) more

Tagline:

Right before your eyes and beyond your wildest dreams. more

Plot:

To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of super-intelligent rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she ever suspected. full summary | full synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(5 articles)

New Secret Of NIMH In The Works
 (From EmpireOnline. 28 July 2009, 1:06 AM, PDT)

Portland’s Rooftop Cinema Summer Schedule
 (From Scorecard Review. 9 July 2009, 12:17 PM, PDT)

User Comments:

Magical, Fantastic, a real delight more (112 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Derek Jacobi ... Nicodemus (voice)
Elizabeth Hartman ... Mrs. Brisby (voice)
Arthur Malet ... Mr. Ages (voice)

Dom DeLuise ... Jeremy (voice)
Hermione Baddeley ... Auntie Shrew (voice)

Shannen Doherty ... Teresa (voice)

Wil Wheaton ... Martin (voice)
Jodi Hicks ... Cynthia (voice)
Ian Fried ... Timothy (voice)
John Carradine ... Great Owl (voice)

Peter Strauss ... Justin (voice)
Paul Shenar ... Jenner (voice)
Tom Hatten ... Farmer Fitzgibbons (voice)
Lucille Bliss ... Mrs. Fitzgibbons (voice)
Aldo Ray ... Sullivan (voice)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

Mrs. Brisby and the Rats of NIMH (USA) (working title)
more

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Company:

Aurora more


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Don Bluth, John Pomeroy and Gary Goldman all left Disney to pursue this project, which had originally been rejected by their former employer as "too dark" to be a commercial success. They were followed soon after by 20 other Disney animators, dubbed "The Disney Defectors" by the trade press. more

Goofs:

Continuity: After Teresa is done bandaging Mrs. Brisby's hands, she places the ball of gauze to her side. On the next shot the ball is gone. more

Quotes:

[first lines]
Nicodemus: Johnathan Brisby was killed today while helping with the plan.
more

Soundtrack:

Flying Dreams more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
15 out of 16 people found the following comment useful.
Magical, Fantastic, a real delight, 10 March 2005
10/10
Author: Curtis Mitchell (Endlessinstant@aol.com) from Peoria, Arizona

The Secret of NIMH after twenty three years is still an absolutely fantastic film. I hold it in such high regard as the even more obscure Gay Pur-ee (with the voice talent of Judy Garland, also wonderful) and Disney's Robin Hood.

Criticisms can be made of the film. For one, "faithful" isn't exactly an adjective that can be used when describing it's relation to the source material: "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert O'Brien. However, the novel was a Newberry Award winner and it deserved an excellent film which is what it received.

The book itself had two separate story lines, one focusing on Mrs. Frisby and her plight, and the other a lengthy backstory involving the rats of NIMH. For the animated feature, Don Bluth and his team chose to focus on Mrs. Frisby's plight and for this I am grateful.

In Mrs. Brisby we have a totally unique and a truly delightful heroine. She isn't some young boy getting ready to go on a fantastic adventure or some sort of great, brave hero. She's just a mother, a mother whose first concern is her family. And she makes a fantastic hero, showing that courage isn't just involved in facing down fierce monsters (though when she has to do that she finds the courage). She never stops pushing herself and though she might be a very small mouse, she has a very big heart.

As a kid I walked away thinking how cool Justin was, but now that I'm older I have complete respect for Mrs. Brisby. It's an excellent film both for children and adults alike.

And how about Derek Jacobi as Nicodemus? Dom deLuise as Jeremy? Not to mention Elizabeth Hartman, whose short career was never-the-less magnificent. Thank god for film that we might have her talents available to us for all time!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Secret of NIMH (1982)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What was Mrs. Brisby's first name? Geek_of_Geeks
Nostalgia Critic needs to review NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue! Matthew_Moviebuff
Dragon the cat is.... omegapirate900
Forget title Hand_On_Existence
Things that did not work bruno-mailly
DVD: no booklet? Greylight
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