Wispy but sweet as spun sugar, The Secret World of Arrietty feels like a modest but exquisitely trimmed Japanese gift to fans of The Borrowers, British author Mary Norton?s classic children?s books. Having originated in Japan?s Studio Ghibli, home to animated films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, the American version of Arrietty is its third translation; when Disney signed on it added a second director in seasoned sound designer Gary Rydstrom (the Japanese version is directed by Ghibli animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi). And yet the look and feel are unmistakable, adding anime flavor to a story so beloved in the West that the BBC took a crack at it with a live-action version just last year.
In many ways it is a felicitous collaboration: The Japanese are known for their appreciation for all things miniature and scrappy young heroines. The two are combined in 14-year-old Arrietty (Bridgit Mendler), a ?borrower? living underneath a rural home with her parents, Pod (Will Arnett) and Hominy (Amy Poehler). Borrowers, you soon figure out if you don?t already know, are basically just people who happen to be the size of a full-grown string bean. They lead a parasitic kind of life, though they operate with more stealth and grace than the crow that swoops in on the recalcitrant family cat to peck up a few fleas in the opening scene. The Borrowers need ?human beans? to borrow from -- their size makes any other kind of subsistence impossible -- and yet they live in terror of their benefactors.
Instead of instilling fear in Arrietty, constant warnings from her gruff, super-stoical dad and hysterical mother only make her more curious about the young boy who shows up at the house. Shawn (David Henrie) is sickly, and has been sent to the home of…
Emmy Rossum Erica Leerhsen Erika Christensen Estella Warren Esther Cañadas Eva Green Eva Longoria Eva Mendes
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