The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
"Kari-gurashi no Arietti" (original title)

The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their daughter, Arrietty, is discovered.

Director:

Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Writers:

Mary Norton (novel), Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay),

Stars:

Moises Arias, Will Arnett, Bridgit Mendler

4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Moises Arias	...	Spiller (voice)
Will Arnett	...	Pod (voice)
Carol Burnett	...	Hara (voice)
David Henrie	...	Shawn (voice)
Bridgit Mendler	...	Arrietty (voice)
Amy Poehler	...	Homily (voice)
Shin'ichi Hatori	...	TV Announcer (voice)
Saoirse Ronan	...	Arrietty (voice)
Tom Holland	...	Shô (voice)
Luke Allen-Gale	...	Spiller (voice)
Olivia Colman	...	Homily (voice)
Mark Strong	...	Pod (voice)
Phyllida Law	...	Sadako (voice)
Geraldine McEwan	...	Haru (voice)
Ray Gillon	...	Additional Voices (voice)

Storyline

14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items that they borrow from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.

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Plot Keywords:

anime | japan | little people | modern day | foreign language adaptation | 

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Taglines:

Ningen ni mirare te wa ikenai. Sore ga yukashita no kodomo-tachi no okite datta. (Do not be seen by humans. That's been the law of children of the underfloor.)

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Disney [us] Official Facebook [gb]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

17 February 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Secret World of Arrietty

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$6,446,395 (USA) (17 February 2012)

Gross:

$19,192,510 (USA) (1 June 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Studio Ghibli, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Dentsu

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The story takes place in 2010 in Western Tokyo's neighborhood of Koganei. Koganei is also where Studio Ghibli is located.

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Goofs

The story takes place some where in western Tokyo. Domestic cars in Japan have their steering wheels on the right side, but Aunt Sadoko's Mercedes is a left hand drive, since it is an imported car. The housekeeper Haru's red car is a right hand drive, as it is a normal, domestic Japanese car.

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Quotes

Shô: You came back. Wait, don't go.
Arietty: Please, leave us alone. I wanted to tell you that.
Shô: I want to talk to you.
Arietty: Human beings are dangerous. If we're seen, we have to leave. My parents said so.

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Connections

Referenced in Estrenos Críticos: Especial Anime (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Shô no Uta"
("Shô's Song")
Composed by Cécile Corbel

User Reviews

Sumptuous and marvellous storytelling aided by eye-watering beauty, Arrietty is simply sublime.

In a world engulfed by Kevin James comedies and ghastly and unnecessary reboots, the public is honoured with the animated Arrietty: a heavenly and gentle tale inspired by Mary Norton's novel 'The Borrowers'.

Arrietty Clock is a 14 year-old girl who lives with her family underneath a home inhabited by humans. The Clock family borrows items it needs to survive from the people living 'above' and love their beautiful, delicate home. However, when a young boy arrives (Shô) to stay with the human family, Arrietty is accidentally discovered by him. Due to fears of borrowers being seen and captured by human beings, the family fear for her safety. Shô finds himself fascinated by Arrietty and a bond builds between the pair, breaking the boundaries between human and borrower.

Arrietty is an intimate and emotional anime resembling the style of Spirited Away.

Arrietty is an intimate and emotional anime resembling the style of Spirited Away.

The film has currently been released in two languages: Japanese and English. The UK version has voice casting from Saoirse Ronan and Mark Strong, whilst the US version stars Will Arnett and Amy Poehler.

What Arreitty has is heart – it cares for its viewers and expresses this with irrevocable beauty. All viewers, young and old, will be unable to help being swept up in this animated treasure and taken aside by just how visually, narratively and emotionally stunning it is. Arrietty is the cinematic equivalent of whatever one believes to be the definition of 'beautiful'.

Hiromasa Yonebayashi's animation, aided by manga artist, film director and animator Hayao Miyazaki, swallows the screen in a sea of plush foliage, raindrops and climbing vine.

Every individual item is intrinsically detailed from a microscopic teapot to a leaf swaying in the wind. The artistic nature of Arrietty is a marvel of dedication and effort. This film is certainly the best animated film of 2011.

Furthermore, the film features rounded and wonderful characters, all of whom have an important role to play. Arrietty is a great role model for children, particularly young girls. She cares and wants to support her family, she's strong, hard-working, determined and she isn't prejudiced. She understands Shô and learns to enjoy his company. Regardless of the reality, the film's heroine provides plenty of positive energy and a great moral compass.

Arrietty is a love-letter to childhood enchantment, to that feeling of awe and magic and the belief in another.

Verdict: ●●●●● Sumptuous and marvellous storytelling aided by eye-watering beauty, Arrietty is simply sublime.

Read more reviews on www.theupcoming.co.uk