The Secret World of Arrietty

14-year-old Arrietty and her family secretly live in the walls of a secluded country house. Finding room to live in the walls is not so difficult for them; they are very tiny people, the size of grasshoppers. What’s difficult is venturing out of the walls and into the human world to collect the food and supplies they need to survive, a venture they call “borrowing”. Arrietty is eager to become a “borrower” herself, to see the world outside their hiding places despite its dangers.

Unfortunately, it’s not long before she’s seen by a human her own age. A boy her own age has just moved into the house for some peace and quiet to prepare for a risky heart operation. He’s fascinated by his discovery of this tiny family living in the walls, and he’s eager to befriend Arrietty and help her family. But despite his good intentions, his efforts begin to cause some serious trouble for “the borrowers” living in the walls.

The film is based on the classic children’s novel The Borrowers, and beautifully animated by Japan’s Studio Ghibli. Though Arrietty and the boy come from two very different worlds and have very different perspectives, only by meeting each other do they learn to face the unknown futures that await them.

Runtime: 94 minutes
Rated G
95% on Rotten Tomatoes
USCCB — A-I
IMDb Parents Guide