Miyazaki and Ghibli meet The Borrowers, for an adaptation better than the rest.
I’ve never been much of a fan of Mary Norton’s The Borrowers, but mostly I haven’t liked the movies made from it. The basic story is good, but I never quite got into the movies.
I think I’ve figured out what I didn’t like before.
In most adaptations, the father of the Borrower family isn’t a very strong father. In this one, he’s a quiet and peaceable man, but he’s not at all weak. In other words, he’s more like a father and less like a comic relief. The same is true of the mother. Even though her character is a bit overemotional and easy to worry, she’s still a strong center for the family circle. She’s not just a comic relief or a frail fragile violet. She’s somebody’s mom.
The movie itself is very well made, with the usual amazing Ghibli visuals and with a lot of thought put into the worldbuilding. But the levels of danger and tension are very carefully metered, so that little kids won’t be too scared and big people won’t be bored. It was obvious that the kids in the movie theater were having a great time and paying close attention.
Stay until the credits actually turn dark. As often happens with Ghibli, the ending credits form an epilogue for the story that you’ll be sorry to miss.
Oh, good! It will be worth watching with the girls.