The Borrower Arrietty: Difference between revisions

{{tropelist}}

* [[Actor Allusion]]: This is [[Horton Hears a Who!|not the first time]] real-life couple Will Arnett and Amy Poehler had roles in the same movie! ... One of them playing a "tiny person raising a child!"

* [[Alternative Foreign Theme Song]]: During the ending credits, in the Disney's English dub a cover of the [[Thematic Theme Tune]] "Arrietty's Song" is used for around two minutes. Then, Disney switches to the specifically composed "Summertime" by [[Bridgit Mendler]]. In the UK dub as well as the original Japanese track, "Arrietty's Song" is played for the entirety of the end credits.

* [[Animated Adaptation]]: [[The Film of the Book]] of ''[[The Borrowers]]'' by Mary Norton.

* [[Animation Bump]]: Apparent with the close-ups and [[Scenery Porn]] sweeping shots, especially with the flora and fauna, which move rather realistically with the wind.

* [[Arcadia]]: Even though the film takes place in a mansion in a city, the characters all live calm and relaxed lifestyles. Sho frequently lies in the garden and reads books. Arrietty likes to explore the neighbouring plants and wildlife. Greenery plays a huge part in the film, as Arrietty hides behind it or climbs up it.

* [[Audible Sharpness]]: Arrietty's pin/sword.

* [[Balcony Escape]]: When Haru locks the door to Sho's room, he climbs out the window and moves along the rooftop to an adjacent window. Arrietty then unlocks the window, and he climbs in.

* [[Bamboo Technology]]: The Borrowers' technology mostly consists of scraped together things they collected from humans. This doesn't stop them from creating advanced and powerful tools, though.

* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: {{spoiler|Arrietty and her family ultimately move away from the house, the Borrowers never ended up using the doll house like Sho's great-grandfather hoped, and Sho soon faces his operation. However, Arrietty and Sho tenderly part ways, exchanging tokens to each other, and it's implied that Arrietty and her family will live in a more hopeful and safe place. In the Disney dub, Sho's operation was a success. He was basically preparing to die beforehand, but the ending narration reveals that he's still alive a whole year later.}}

* [[Bland-Name Product]]: We briefly see a bottle of "Ivori Soap".

* [[Boy Meets Girl]]: In this case, the trope is used in an interesting way. The size difference between Arrietty and Sho, as well as the Borrowers' rule to never be seen, means that Arrietty is embarrassed and slowly walks away. Sho, however, is persistent in trying to speak to her, even leaving the cube of sugar she dropped while retreating close by her house.

* [[Cats Are Mean]]: Played straight at first--Sho's cat Niya is a mean predatory thing. Ultimately subverted when he makes his peace with the Borrowers. Near the end of the film, he closes his eyes halfway -- a display of affection from real cats.

* [[Character Title]]: Arrietty herself appears on all English titles and the original Japanese version, but ''not'' in the title of the book the film was adapted from.

* [[Distracted by the Luxury]]: Homily by the shiny tea sets in the doll house kitchen.

* [[Dramatic Wind]]: When Arrietty climbs to the top of the [[Big Fancy House]] and wipes sweat off her forehead, the climbing ivy sways in the wind as the camera pans out to an aerial shot of the garden.

* [[Dueling Dubs]]: There are two English dubs, one produced by Disney, and another produced by the British StudioCanal, possibly because the [[The Borrowers|source material]] was written in Britain. The British dub is more faithful to the original material, avoiding the [[Dub Name Change]]s brought about via the Disney one, and keeping the ending "Arrietty's Song" intact.

* [[Establishing Shot]]: A pan of the garden up to the house near the beginning of the film. This is used when Sho gets out of the car, and establishes the secluded nature of the place that he will be staying in. Bonus points for the details and lush green colours used during the shot.

* [[Expy]]: Nearly every major human character has a counterpart in the original books. Sho/Shawn is The Boy, and Aunt Sadako/Jessica is basically Great Aunt Sophy.

* [[Fainting]]: A monster faint, of sorts, when Homily sees Shawn put the doll house kitchen in their home.

* [[Foreshadowing]]: In the beginning of the film, when Sho gets out of the car, a crow swoops down and attacks a cat, creating turbulence and fighting. This alludes to the crow's later attack on Arrietty.

* [[Gaslighting]]: Sho pulls a minor case of this on Haru, moving the dollhouse kitchen back to the dollhouse when she's not looking to convince her that she's imagining the Borrowers.

** He also appears in front of her after she locks him in his room, visibly startling him.

* [[GASP]]: Arrietty when she realises that she has was seen by Sho.

* [[Good Parents]]: Pod is a stern yet fair version. Homily may be a bit more easily hysterical and anxious when it comes to the safety of her family, but she cares very much for Arrietty and wants the best for her daughter.

* [[Gratuitous English]]: Both the English and Japanese versions of "Arrietty's Song" opens with the line "I'm fourteen years old, I am pretty", before continuing in their respective languages.

* [[Happily Married]]: Pod and Homily.

* [[Housewife]]: Homily is the only non-action one in the family, preferring to stay at home.

* [[Huge Guy, Tiny Girl]]: [[Exaggerated]]. Justified as Arrietty is a Borrower, who, by their very definitions as [[Lilliputians]], are meant to be small. Sho is by no means a large boy, but he is a giant relative to the Borrowers.

* [[Important Hair Accessory]]: Arrietty gives away her little hairpin {{spoiler|before moving away and parting with Sho}}.

* [[It Was Here, I Swear]]: Haru tries to show Sadako/Jessica the Borrowers' home, as well as the kitchen which they Sho put inside their house. When Haru checks where it is supposed to be, the kitchen is missing. When she checks in the doll house that the kitchen has come from,

* [[I Will Protect Her]]: Sho to Arrietty.

* [[Last of His Kind]]: Arrietty's mother references this, fearing that she and her family were the last Borrowers. {{spoiler|Later proven not to be the case with Spiller's existence.}}

* [[Left Hanging]]: The film does not answer whether Sho survives his operation or not, leaving it to be a [[Riddle for the Ages]], and what Arrietty does after she moves away. The fact that Sho survives his operation is vaguely hinted at in the [[Opening Monologue]], which is in past tense, implying that he lived to tell the tale after the operation. The Disney dub adds an [[Happy Ending]], implying that the Borrowers have found a new home as things are going missing, and that Sho returns the house the next summer, implying that he has survived his operation.

* [[Lying on a Hillside]]: Sho does this while reading a book, and petting Niya. Arrietty walks up to him to say goodbye.

* [[Named by the Adaptation]]: In the original ''[[The Borrowers]]'', Sho was simply called "the Boy" and was not given a name.

* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: Sho's effort to do Arrietty and her family a kind turn by giving them the dollhouse kitchen not only traumatizes Homily and forces the family to prepare to move, but it also leads to Haru discovering their home and capturing Homily. Though Homily, as predicted, ''really'' likes that kitchen and is heartbroken to part from it.

* [[Officially Shortened Title]]: In some regions, the film is simply known as ''Arrietty'', instead of the Japanese title ''The Borrower Arrietty''. In the USA, this trope is inverted and the title becomes the much longer ''The Secret World of Arrietty''.

* [[Opening Monologue]]: Downplayed with its brevity, and the fact that this is the only narrated part of the film. The trop is used in both English dubs as well as the original Japanese track. {{quote|'''Sho''': I'll never forget that summer. I spent a week in the old house where my mother grew up.}}

* [[Parental Abandonment]]: Sho's parents are divorced; he rarely sees his father and his mother is often working.

* [[Parents in Distress]]: Arrietty and Sho team up to rescue Arrietty's mother Homily from Haru.

** Sho isn't very talkative either.

* [[Ravens and Crows]]: A crow attempts to catch Arrietty, only to crash and get stuck in a window screen.

* [[Scenery Porn]]: It's Studio Ghibli. Were you expecting anything else? It's even more prevalent in the film than their usual works, with sweeping shots of plants and the garden. Shots of what the locations and settings which would appear normal to a human is shown to be vastly different from the perspective of [[Lilliputians]]. Greenery is abundant throughout the entire film.

* [[Ship Tease]]: There are a few hints dropped here and there that Spiller likes Arrietty.

** Niya slowly blinks while looking at Arrietty, a gesture used by real cats to display affection.

** The flora and fauna are animated in a rather realistic manner, right down to the dew that forms on top of them.

* [[Slice of Life]]: The film is laid back and calm enough to the point where it can be classed as being Slice of Life. It features moments like sleeping, sewing, and eating, in between the more adventurous elements like climbing.

* [[Staring Down Cthulhu]]: Arrietty and Niya at the end of the film, {{spoiler|when the Borrowers are moving away. Niya is portrayed as a huge figure which takes up most of the screen, with Arrietty framed at the centre of the shot. The shots that focus on Niya has the cat's face take up the entirety of the screen, the shots that focus on Arrietty shows a lot of background scenery. Arrietty's back is shown, and Niya's eyes are clearly visible}}.

* [[Surprisingly Functional Toys]]: The doll house, which serves as a fully functional residence for the Borrowers, complete with a working kitchen. Justified, as it is specifically built for little people.

* [[Surprisingly Good English]]: [[Inverted]] with Cecile Corbel and the Japanese version of ''[[Thematic Theme Tune|Arrietty's Song]]'', which she sings herself. It works. Also played straight with the ''English'' version of the song. She's French.

* [[Timmy in a Well]]: {{spoiler|Sho's/Shawn's cat leads him to Arrietty's departing family.}}

* [[Trailers Always Spoil]]: The U.S. trailer reveals {{spoiler|the Clocks in the teapot on the river, Arrietty befriending the cat, Arrietty and Sho/Shawn saying goodbye, and Arrietty rescuing Homily.}}

* [[Wham! Line]]: When Shawn and Arrietty first have a conversation: "I'm sorry for upsetting you. {{spoiler|I'm actually the one who's going to die."}}