The Borrowers (1997) VS The Secret World of Arrietty-Which is Better?

The late Mary Norton is considered one of England’s great authors. Her most famous works are a series about 4-inch tall humans who live in people’s houses. Known as “The Borrowers Series” it has become so popular that several adaptations have been made since their release. Arguably the two most famous are 1997’s The Borrowers, a movie that partially “Americanized” the story, and 2010’s The Secret World of Arrietty, a Studio Ghibli film set in Japan. At first glance, it might seem like one of them is superior; after all, the former holds a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, while the latter is at a 94%. However, is that really the case? That’s what I intend to find out.

As always, major spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned.

Let’s kick this off with…

Story:

 

 

VS

The overall premise remains somewhat similar: a family of people, no bigger than insects, lives in a house and takes items humans wouldn’t miss. When their escapades arouse suspicion from the owners, the lives of these people, known as “borrowers”, are threatened. Complicating matters is that one human wants to exterminate them, making the threat existential. Ultimately, the borrowers make a hard choice: stay in their current home, or move? It’s tough, but their determination to survive makes them resilient.

In The Borrowers, this threat feels almost like a dark parody. The human family in question, The Lenders, not only have to compete with the borrowers, but also with the bank for ownership of their home. The villain comes in the form of Ocious P. Potter, a greedy developer who wants to tear down the house and transform it into buildings, and he sees the borrowers as an obstacle. His antics play out as a game of cat and mouse, particularly with the borrower children. This conflict takes up most of the runtime, and it’s as compelling as it is silly.

The Secret World of Arrietty goes for a more atmospheric approach. Occurring in the countryside of Japan, it centres around 14 year-old Arrietty, ever adventurous, and a sickly boy named Sho. The two become friends, but not before Sho’s landlady, Haru, becomes suspicious of the mysterious items that are missing. As tension between Haru and the borrowers escalate, it becomes clear to Arrietty’s father, Pod, that their family must move. But not, of course, before Haru springs her final trap.

The priorities of these films are drastically different. The former, being live-action and from Hollywood, focuses on high-tension action, with Arrietty and Peagreen outwitting Potter. For the latter, while there’s an extermination subplot, it’s not the primary focus. The Secret World of Arrietty’s largely about living as an insect-sized human alongside normal-sized people, and how acts we might take for granted feel threatening. The ending’s also bittersweet, as, despite Arrietty’s mother, Homily, being rescued from Haru, the borrowers still move. Essentially, while The Borrowers ends with a loud victory, The Secret World of Arrietty ends with the borrowers fleeing.

I find The Borrowers, personally, doesn’t ground its setting properly. Peter Lender’s television set looks like an old-fashioned CRTV, yet his parents use an electric fridge to get ice. Potter drives a 50s-style limo, but he also has a flip-phone. Even the cast, main and supporting, speak inconsistently, with some having American accents and others British accents. This inconsistency in time and place takes me out of the immersion, essentially. This is something The Secret World of Arrietty avoids by having its story be entirely modern, with the one red flag, a flip-phone, only being so if you’re unfamiliar with Japanese society. (Flip-phones are still popular there.)

I have to give The Borrowers credit: it’s much better-written and executed than it should be. For a late-90s film with lots of slapstick, it holds up. And for something that’s 89-minutes long, it works. It works so well that I can even recommend it without question. I can’t say that about many films from then.

However, I have to give this to The Secret World of Arrietty. It might be standard for Studio Ghibli, not taking risks narrative-wise for what the company’s capable of, but it flows much better. There’s a clearer sense of tonal consistency too, with each plot point building organically. It’s not as loud, or fast-paced, but it flows better. Also, kids deserve slower movies sometimes.

Winner:

 

But a story’s only as good as its characters, which leads to…

Cast:

 

VS

Both movies have great casts who are well-directed. For The Borrowers, the main and supporting cast have relative newcomers and veterans from both The US and The UK. Somehow, this movie includes a young Tom Felton pre-Harry Potter, Jim Broadbent, John Goodman and Hugh Laurie and it isn’t awkward, especially given their career trajectories. Shout-out to Goodman specifically, who was practically born to play villains. He brings a dark energy to Potter and is menacing and clever. I love how much he revels in chewing the scenery, and he’s enjoying hamming it up. Then again, Goodman’s usually good in anything, so…

The Secret World of Arrietty’s tougher to comment on, since it has a British and an American dub released within a year of each other. The American dub has many great voices, including Will Arnett and Amy Poehler, but I’ll focus on the British version here. I may own the American dub, but since the British one’s on Netflix, and it’s what most English speakers would be familiar with, it makes sense to focus on it. To that end, there’s Saoirse Ronen and a young Tom Holland as Arrietty and Sho. There are other noteworthy voices, like Mark Strong as Pod, but these are the standouts. I especially like Holland as Sho, really matching the frail, passive nature of him through his voice-work.

The more naturalistic acting in The Secret World of Arrietty works in its favour in general. No disrespect to The Borrowers, but its acting is hammy, especially with the borrowers. It makes sense, they have to over-project to be heard, but it doesn’t feel natural. It reminds me of a stage play, except with filmic sets and camera angles. The Secret World of Arrietty, being animated, feels like a better fit with its voice acting, so I’m giving the win to it.

Winner: 

But a cast is only as good as the movie’s overall “feel”, which leads to…

Aesthetic:

 

  VS

 

This seems like an easy win for The Secret World of Arrietty. Not only does animation allow for a better use of perspective and scope, it also better illustrates scale. When Pod climbs the kitchen table to retrieve a sugar cube, complete with tape on his gloves and boots, it feels like it’s ripped from a heist movie. Conversely, Sho giving the borrowers a surprise gift, the dollhouse his grandfather had built, is terrifying because of how big he is, and the whole scene is animated like a disaster movie. Details like these are what animation excels at, and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s a master at making the small and intimate feel magical and tangible.

However, The Borrowers still looks and feels really ambitious. The late-90s were a time of rapid innovations in film-making, with CGI and digital compositing replacing practical effects, and it shows with how dated many “groundbreaking” films look now. This movie, however, avoids that, as its “money shots” are largely about perspective. This is why something like caulking grates, or speeding in a roller skate, feels impressive even now, as you see it both from the viewpoint of an ant and a regular-sized human. There are also some great and dramatic set-pieces, like when Peagreen’s trapped and almost drowns in a milk processing plant.

Another element The Borrowers does exceptionally is the feeling of constant danger. This is probably my personal bias, having grown up with Hollywood movies, but every second the borrowers are on screen I’m anxious. Whether it’s Arrietty getting trapped in a freezer while sneaking ice cream, or Peagreen nearly drowning, the borrowers never catch a break. It makes their victories feel that much more earned. It also leads to more suspense.

The Secret World of Arrietty can’t match up to this. I love the movie, but it’s not quite as tense because it’s more about atmosphere. It also doesn’t take any risks that Studio Ghibli movies haven’t before or since, which is a shame because it looks beautiful constantly. (Seriously, pause the movie whenever you want, take a picture and hang it on your wall. That’s how painterly it is.)

I mean no disrespect to The Secret World of Arrietty, or its director, but I have to give this to The Borrowers.

Winner:

 

However, visual aesthetics are only as good as the score accompanying them, so…

Sound:

 

  

VS 

 

This is something both movies do well. I’d be hard-pressed to say “this movie sounds better than that movie” and not have to quantify my thoughts. It’s especially hard here because The Borrowers is a comedy. It’s not trying to be high art, and judging it that way would be disrespectful. So I’ll leave that alone, even though the earthier vibe of The Secret World of Arrietty strikes me more personally.

What I can judge is the movies’ scores. To that end, The Borrowers, while fun and pleasant, never reaches true memorability. It’s unfortunate because Hans Zimmer had a producing credit, with Harry Gregson-Williams composing everything. The Secret World of Arrietty, however, has French harpist Cécile Corbel doing the compositions and the original songs. Corbel was a huge fan of Studio Ghibli, and this movie came out during their peak popularity, and you can tell. She actually adds to the film’s nature-inspired atmosphere. Also, she translated her songs to English for the dub.

There’s no contest here.

Winner:

 

And now, bringing it home, here’s…

Entertainment factor:

 

 

VS 

I’ll give both movies this much: they’re fun watches. The Borrowers excels at being a light romp, complete with high energy and fast pacing. Conversely, The Secret World of Arrietty draws you into its world, which makes sense since Studio Ghibli’s all about immersion. (Even their worst movies achieve this.) Both films are excellent at showcasing what it means to be bug-sized in a regular human’s world, which is why Mary Norton’s original books are so well-loved. However, while The Borrowers is fun, it definitely screams “90s movie”. Especially with how mean-spirited its credits are, as Potter’s gaslit for believing “little people exist” by the police.

The Secret World of Arrietty, conversely, isn’t as cynical or period-centric. Yes, Haru gets her comeuppance when she realizes Sho helped Homily escape, and yes, the end credits are bittersweet. But even during its depressing moments, like when Sho claims that Arrietty’s “species” might be going extinct, there’s a feeling of optimism permeating the story. Studio Ghibli movies tug at the heartstrings even when they’re cheerful, but this one doesn’t let emotion get in the way of vibes. It’s a genuinely powerful movie about bravery in the face of adversity, and that’s something worth teaching children.

The Secret World of Arrietty wins.

Overall winner: 

And that about does it for this piece. I hope you enjoyed it, and, as always, I’ll see you next time!