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 teenage daugh... Read allThe 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 teenage daughter Arrietty is discovered.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 teenage daughter Arrietty is discovered.
- Awards
- 12 wins & 6 nominations
- Arrietty
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Homily
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Pod
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Arietti
- (voice)
- Shô
- (voice)
- (as Ryûnosuke Kamiki)
- Supirâ
- (voice)
- Poddo
- (voice)
- Homirî
- (voice)
- Sadako
- (voice)
- Haru
- (voice)
- Hara
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Shawn
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Aunt Jessica
- (English version)
- (voice)
- (as Gracie Poletti)
- Spiller
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Exterminator
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Receptionist
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Additional Voices
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe story takes place in 2010 in western Tokyo's neighborhood of Koganei. Koganei is also where Studio Ghibli is located.
- GoofsThe 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.
- Quotes
Arrietty: I have to go. When is your operation?
Shawn: The day after tomorrow. I'm going to be okay. You gave me the courage to live.
Arrietty: [Unclipping the pin from her hair & giving it to Shawn] For luck.
Shawn: Thanks.
Arrietty: [Now crying] You protected me after all.
Shawn: Arrietty...
Arrietty: I hope you have the best life ever. Goodbye.
Shawn: Arrietty, you're a part of me now. I'll never forget you, ever.
- Alternate versionsA different, British English dub was recorded for the United Kingdom and Ireland release of the film (under the title "Arrietty"), with the voices of Saoirse Ronan as Arrietty, Tom Holland as Shô and Mark Strong, Olivia Colman, Phyllida Law and Geraldine McEwan.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Maltin on Movies: This Means War (2012)
- SoundtracksArrietty's Song
Lyrics by Cécile Corbel
Japanese lyrics by Yôko Ihira
Composed by Simon Caby and Cécile Corbel
Performed by Cécile Corbel
This means that the film does have room to breathe for the characters and also has the time to let us experience the world through Arrietty. It is a good call to do this early and quickly and, although the film opens with Shô, we do move to join the "little people" very quickly. The sequence where Arrietty and her father go out together is really well done – the ordinary is well presented as thrilling and dangerous, with deep caverns made out of furniture. The way it is directed and animated doesn't mean it is just small characters filmed against normal stuff made to look big (as is the case in the film) but rather than it feels like an adventure and is delivered with a sense of wonder to it. This really helped me get into the film and fall for Arrietty early and this stayed with me throughout.
The plot is simple enough and could have been overly sentimental and all tied up nicely but I really like that it wasn't – the film's ending surprised me and delighted me in equal measure as I am used to thinks like this being all closed out in a neat way. The voice cast seem to be different depending on where you watch it – for some reason it was even dubbed into English using different people for the US and UK markets. The UK voices were mostly good but I did find whoever did Shô to be a bit lacking, but Arrietty was very good, full of a wonder and trust that matched her animated expressions and actions.
The Secret World of Arrietty may not quite be as good as one could expect from Studio Ghibli and it isn't as open to adult subjects as sometimes you see, but it is still a great family film. It captures a sense of childlike wonder at the world and translates it well to the viewer. The friendship, bravery and trust that comes out of this is also nicely done and I found the whole film to be wonderfully charming and enjoyable.
- bob the moo
- Mar 10, 2013
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $23,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $19,587,032
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $6,446,395
- Feb 19, 2012
- Gross worldwide
- $149,660,003
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1