The Borrowers

This movie is the most WONDERFUL kid's movie I've seen in AGES!!! I had the good fortune to stumble across "The Return of the Borrowers" at the library, and after seeing it, immediately went back for the first copy. This movie, granted is slow at times, and may lose young, fidgety children's interest after a while, but it is a treat for the adults and teens!!! An overall wonderful movie that I wish was available to buy.

I watched a DVD of this last night for the 1st time since seeing its original run on TV in Nov/Dec 1992; exactly 30 years to the day it would appear !

This production is highly (and I mean highly !) evocative of happy days in the early 90's, when the world was a far more wholesome and decent place! It's from the days when the BBC would create a simple production - particularly childrens' productions, with professional yet simple acting, simple sets, simple graphics, and just generally reflective of simpler days.

Essentially it's based on the classic childrens' books by Mary Norton; sadly she died just a few months before this was put on TV ! The 'Borrowers' - little people just a few inches tall, live under floorboards or inside shoes and kettles, and 'borrow' food and essential commodities from the 'big' (ie: human) people, while trying to escape their cruel means of 'pest control'.

The lifestyle and object proportions are cleverly and perfectly executed throughout. Clothes made from carpet with enormous buttons, jumbo-sized cordage, pans made from bottle tops with paper clips attached, playing cards for wallpaper, dolls' house utensils and furniture, even humungous pencils being held by the nib. All kinda suggestive of 'Honey, I Shrunk The Kids' !

Unlike many BBC childrens' productions that use otherwise unknown actors - particularly children, there is a relatively high-profile set here. Ian Holm and Penelope Wilton play the parents of Arietty, played by 17-year-old Rebecca Callard, whose extremely cute, tender, refined and adorable looks made her the perfect candidate to play an innocent coming-of-age youngster who was basically younger than 17 !

Lets give it 10/10 for being just about perfect; simple, wholesome, fun, and iconic of an era of much better culture and much better days !

Who doesn't love a story of little people living under the floorboards of an old English cottage? They are called Borrowers. They borrow from the people that live in the house. But they cannot be known to be in the house or their will be trouble. In this particular version there is a boy who is sent for the summer to stay in his aunt's house who is very ill and the housekeeper ends up taking care of him. He is lonely and one day meets up with Arrietti, one of the Borrowers, the daughter. She is very bold and brave almost too much for her own good. All she can think about is being able to be outside. But her Mom and Dad will not allow it because of the dangers of the outside world. There is always the fear of meeting up with one of the humans. You will be holding your breath as you see them almost get caught. The story is suspenseful, adventurous, and just plain fun! Family and friends will delight in the misadventures of this smallish family as they experience life under the floorboards, around a nosey housekeeper, and cat, and even a crow or two.

THE BORROWERS is a BBC TV miniseries from 1992 and, in my mind, the definitive adaptation of the Mary Norton novels. This is the series I grew up with and watched at an impressionable age and it still delights today with its simple but sophisticated special effects and the storyline which is full of warmth and wit.

Forget Jim Broadbent and (ugh) Christopher Eccleston, Ian Holm is the definitive Pod. He brings a real world-weariness to his role as the father of the borrowing family and I love his various asides and exasperated expressions. Penelope Wilton epitomises everybody's mother and is a delight, while Rebecca Callard epitomises Arrietty pretty much perfectly.

Sure, this series has dated a little, and the special effects have been superseded by modern-day CGI, but I think they still look fantastic and I wouldn't change a thing. I particularly enjoyed seeing all the British character actors as the villains (the trio of Sian Phillips, David Ryall, and Tony Haygarth is certainly one to beat) and the fact that the miniseries format means we get to see the borrowers actually, well, borrowing and living their lives as well as all the action you'd expect. This series is a real delight.