The Borrowers Review
by "Nathaniel R. Atcheson" (nate AT pyramid DOT net)February 20th, 1998
The Borrowers (1998)
Director: Peter Hewitt
Written By: John Kamps, Gavin Scott
Produced By: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Rachel Talalay
Cast: John Goodman, Jim Broadbent, Mark Williams, Hugh Laurie, Bradley Pierce, Flora Newbigin, Tom Felton
Runtime: 83 min.
Production Company: Polygram
Rated PG: mild peril, crude humor
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson ([email protected])
I remember that when I saw Honey, I Shrunk the Kids at a much younger age, I was less impressed with that film than I am with The Borrowers now, in my twenties. I never go into a kid-oriented film expecting something as crafty and entertaining as this. The special effects and sets are all extremely good, and the characters played by couple of great actors (John Goodman and Jim Broadbent) make this an all-around pleasant experience.
The film is essentially about a family of small people, called Borrowers. At the head of the family is Pod Clock (Broadbent) and his wife, Homily Clock (Celia Imrie). They have two children, Arrietty (Flora Newbigin) and Peagreen (Tom Felton). They live in the nooks and crannies of a house that belongs to the Lenders--a family of big, silly beings (that's what the Borrowers call humans). The Lenders have a son, Pete (Bradley Pierce), who discovers the Borrowers and befriends them. When the Lenders are forced to move out of their house by the evil businessman Oscious P. Potter (Goodman), the Borrowers learn that Potter has actually stolen a will that will declare the Lenders as the rightful owners of the house. It is then up to little Arrietty and Peagreen to get ahold of the will. Potter, of course, finds out about the little people and brings in an exterminator (Mark Williams), but they are no match for the Borrowers.
I suppose the success of this film owes a lot to the presence of John Goodman. Goodman, in all of his jolly hugeness, proves that he can both be evil and funny at the same time. He never goes into the unwanted realm of overacting, either, so there aren't really any moments in The Borrowers that are painful to watch. And the great Jim Broadbent is wonderfully entertaining as Pod Clock (I love that name), the British ringleader of his family of small people.
The film is filled with great sets and special effects. Director Peter Hewitt does a professional job of making everyday places--like the kitchen, for instance--seem threateningly large. The sets are extremely detailed and authentic, and the film is surprisingly atmospheric. The special-effects, as well, are some of the best in recent memory: the integration of small and large people has never been done as smoothly as this. There are also some truly funny moments, most of them including Goodman and a very strange police officer (played by Hugh Laurie).
The Borrowers is a fun, imaginative little film. It's the kind of movie that parents can enjoy at the same time as their kids. It's also that rare kind of film that will keep kids' attention despite the lack of gratuitous violence and gore. And, despite the fact that it is intended for kids, I can recommend this film to anyone--I imagine it will hold the attention of even the most skeptical teenagers.
>From 0-10: 7
Grade: B
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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