The Secret World of Arrietty

"The Secret World of Arrietty" is a Japanese animated film by Miyazaki based on the book, The Borrowers by Mary Norton.  Arrietty is a young girl who lives with her parents in a tiny space under the floorboards of a Japanese household.  Arrietty and her family are Borrowers, little people who live in hiding and take only what they need to survive, such as a cube of sugar, a pin, or a piece of tissue.

Arrietty is accidentally discovered by a young boy, Shawn, who recently moved into the household to rest.  He is a sickly child with a heart condition and is lonely for a friend.  When he spots Arrietty, he tries to help her, and eventually they become friends.  Unfortunately, the nosy housekeeper catches on and calls the exterminator.  What will become of Arietty and her family?

This is a lovely film, slow-moving yet engrossing.  It's fascinating to see life through the eyes of Arietty's family--how they navigate the dangers of our world and the difficulty they face in borrowing the things they need to survive.