The Borrowers (1997)

A secret family of four-inch people living inside the walls of a house must save their home from an evil real estate developer.

Director:

Peter Hewitt

Writers:

Mary Norton (novels), Gavin Scott (screenplay),

Stars:

John Goodman, Mark Williams, Jim Broadbent

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Goodman	...	Ocious P. Potter
Mark Williams	...	Exterminator Jeff
Jim Broadbent	...	Pod Clock
Celia Imrie	...	Homily Clock
Flora Newbigin	...	Arrietty 'Ett' Clock
Tom Felton	...	Peagreen Clock
Raymond Pickard	...	Spud Spiller
Bradley Pierce	...	Pete Lender
Aden Gillett	...	Joe Lender
Doon Mackichan	...	Victoria Lender
Hugh Laurie	...	Police Officer Steady
Ruby Wax	...	Town Hall Clerk
Andrew Dunford	...	Dustbunny Binn
Bob Goody	...	Minty Branch
Patrick Monckton	...	Swag (as Patrick Monkton)

Storyline

The Borrowers are four-inch high "little people" who live under the floorboards. When the owner of the house they live in dies and evil realtor Ocious Potter wants to destroy the house to build luxury apartments on its place, they start to fight him with the help of the son of house owner, Pete.

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Plot Keywords:

lawyer | little people | deception | family relationships | lifting person in air | 

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Taglines:

The screen's smallest heroes in the year's biggest adventure.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild peril and some crude humor

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lånerne

Filming Locations:

Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$29,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$16,600,000 (Non-US) (20 February 1998)

Gross:

$22,359,293 (USA) (8 May 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The villain's name is Ocious P. Potter. Costars Jim Broadbent, Mark Williams, and Tom Felton later starred prominently in the "Harry Potter" series of movies.

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Goofs

The film is set in a fictitious time and place which include elements of both Britain and North America, technology and products from many different eras, and fictitious uniforms and currency.

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Quotes

Pod Clock: We may be small but heaven help anyone who thinks he might squish us.

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Connections

Version of Jackanory: The Borrowers: Part 2 (1967)

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Soundtracks

"Weird"
Written by Desmond Child and Hanson
Performed by Hanson
Courtesy of Mercury Records
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Not just good special effects but superb ones!

Reading some of the other reviews you get the impression that the Special Effects in the Borrowers are somewhat mediocre, well I feel I must stand up for them. The effects in this film are on the whole superb. The problem is that some of them are so good you just don't notice them unless they are pointed out to you. In my opinion the effects in the Borrowers are vastly superior to things like say Titanic, which rather unbelievably won an Oscar. Any effect which you're inclined to say "That's a good effect" too, is not a good effect, it is a poor one because you can tell it's an effect. The best effects go unnoticed, not only by the movie going public but also by the Academy it seems.