The Secret World of Arrietty

Rated G

Catholic-ometer: 4 of 5

Enjoyability: 4.5 of 5

I don't review secular movies often, simply because I don't watch them often.  I do have a special place in my heart, however, for Pixar films, and for Studio Ghibli.  The only problem I've really had with most Ghibli films in the past has been their tendency to have plots driven mainly by the occult.

This movie, fortunately, lacks that element of the Miyazaki legacy, though I probably would have enjoyed it anyway.  In fact, in some ways, I think I enjoyed this movie more than any other production ever released by Studio Ghibli, which is high praise indeed.

It's a story about a boy named Shawn, who goes to a small house in the countryside, where he discovers a family of very small people, who survive by taking what they need from the humans they live with; little things that people won't miss.  The tiny people call themselves borrowers, and often refer to the humans as "beans."  The family consists of an old married couple and their teenage daughter Arrietty.

The plot picks up when Arrietty is seen by Shawn, and the two begin a sort of strange friendship, which, unfortunately, can never be, since all borrowers know that to be seen by one human invites the curiosity and greed of the others, a fact which is proven jarringly true for the poor borrower family.

The father of the family is somber, softspoken and savvy.  He's something of an action hero, because he needs to be to take care of his family, getting in and out of kitchens and bedrooms quickly and without anyone seeing him.  He also seems to be a master craftsman in many fields.  His wife is herself very creative and skilled, demonstrating skill in knitting and cooking, though the primary impression that she's likely to leave on viewers is her tendency to worry.

Both Arrietty and Shawn are curious souls seeking to understand and bear life as best they can; figuring out how to get by, one step at a time, like all of us.

Ghibli films have a long history of taking their time and showing the viewers absolutely stunning sights.  Every single Ghibli film is gorgeous to look at, and yet, they tend to be patient affairs as well.  They allow a world of wonder to unfold before the eyes of the viewer; a world with its own problems and trials, like ours, and they take their time in doing it, instead of rushing around in big, flashy musical numbers and telling joke after ridiculous joke.

This film is certainly no exception to that.  None of the characters sing, nor do they tell jokes.  Many of them are introspective and quiet, and yet, the subject matter is such that it's hard to grow impatient with the movie.  I would say that this film is probably slower-paced and less intense than any other Ghibli film, but I actually thought the movie benefitted from its quiet atmosphere, as very tiny people trying hard not to be seen would, naturally, make very little noise.

In the end, though, as I said, the thing I liked most about it was that its premise was something nobody could take issue with.  Witches, magic potions, evil wizards and superpowered crystals could all be troublesome subjects for young children to absorb, but little people in an old house is the kind of fantasy that anyone can get into.  There's even one scene of Arrietty's mother briefly praying for her daughter and husband.  They do technically live by stealing things from humans, but because of their size, nothing they take is really that big of a deal, even according to the catechism of the Catholic Church.  It's a distinction that may need to be made by parents after the film is over, but certainly not a problem with the movie itself.

There are also quite a few good moral messages to be derived from this kind of story.  "A person's a person, no matter how small," "sometimes, even the smallest person can make the biggest difference," and even a message about how the power of goodness (in this case, courage,) can be made most perfect in weakness.  However, the film isn't perfect, and most of that, I suspect, has to do with the dubbing.  A few of the lines feel overly-familiar and almost cookie-cuttered in, and Shawn's voice could have stood to gain a few octaves.  He sounded like he was in his late 20s.

Still, I recommend this movie heartily to anyone who has a child or is still a child at heart; still willing to dream of other worlds beyond our own, which is really the point of most Ghibli features when you get down to it.  They do just what I want a film to do, elevating our minds to other possibilities and other worlds.  This one manages to make even a normal world look alien and strange, and thus maintain its strong level of interest for the child in all of us.  Most especially, I recommend this movie to those who, like myself, are religious and seeking a quieter, calmer alternative to the American "entertainment" of today.