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* [[Posthumous Character]]: Within the [[Framing Device]] story, ''all'' of the major characters might be considered this, since the main story takes place so long ago -- though only the Boy (who was the younger brother of Mrs. May, who first tells "Kate" the story of the Borrowers) is actually confirmed to have died; the Borrowers themselves simply left and were never seen again.
** Within the main story of the first book, several Borrower families are described -- all gone by now. The [[Posthumous Character]] who gets the most attention, however, is Arrietty's cousin Eggletina -- it was her death that caused Uncle Hendreary and his family to leave the house for good. {{spoiler|However, this is [[Subverted]] in the second book, when Eggletina proves to be very much alive.}}
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{{tropelist|Tropes exclusive to the 2011 BBC film:}}
* [[Adaptational Attractiveness]]: Neither Homily nor Pod were described as very good-looking in the books. In this movie they're played by [[Hot Mom|Sharon Horgan]] and [[Christopher Eccleston]].
* [[All Girls Want Bad Boys]]: Spiller tries to invoke this with Arrietty. Not played completely straight, though; she's enticed by him but quickly begins finding him annoying.
* [[The Atoner]]: Pod, or at least he feels so. {{spoiler|The Borrowers view him as a hero, since he several years ago saved them from being discovered by humans and killed -- but Pod never got over the one little girl he ''couldn't'' save, his niece Eggletina. Her death is the reason why he's now being overprotective towards Arrietty.}}
* [[Big Damn Heroes]]:
{{quote|'''Homily:''' I don't know how much more I can take of this.
'''Pod:''' It's gonna be all right.
'''Homily:''' ''How?'' How is it gonna be all right, how can you say that?!
'''Pod:''' Because Arrietty's just about to save us. }}
* [[Comedic Underwear Exposure]]: Happens to Pod when Jenny attempts to look at his anatomy!
* {{spoiler|[[Death by Adaptation]]: Eggletina, who is set up as a [[Posthumous Character]] in the books, but is later revealed to be alive. In the film, there seems to be little doubt that she died.}}
* [[Gilded Cage]]: Arrietty lives in luxury, with her father bringing her anything she could want, but is kept completely cut off from the outside world.
* [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain]]: Borderline case with Mildeye; he ''is'' a genuine threat to the Borrowers largely because he's so much bigger than them, but he bumbles so much that you almost have to feel sorry for him when he loses out and makes a fool of himself. It helps that he's played by [[Stephen Fry]], no doubt.
** Subverted with his assistant Jenny, who at first seems like a shy and awkward, but harmless girl -- only to reveal a rather disturbing sadistic streak later on.
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: Spiller. With a side-order of [[Handsome Lech]].
* [[Hollywood Tone Deaf]]: Spiller, when trying to sing ''Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.''
* [[Large Ham]]: Stephen Fry is about as hammy in this movie as John Goodman was in the 1997 one.
* [[Missing Mom]]: James's mother is recently dead.
* [[Race Lift]]: Professor Mildeye. In the books, Mildeye was a villainous [[Roma|Rom]]. In the movie he's a pompous scientist played by [[Stephen Fry]]. Basically the two characters have nothing in common apart from the name and the role as antagonist.
* [[Screening the Call]]: Arrietty is stated to have inherited a natural gift and thirst for adventure from her father. Pod, however, refuses to let her go out Borrowing, and unlike his book counterpart won't let himself be talked into it. He turns out to have his reasons.
* [[Soft-Spoken Sadist]]: While she at first just seems to be a socially-awkward [[The Stoic|Stoic,]] Jenny reveals herself to be one. While Mildeye is simply interested in catching the Borrowers [[For Science!]] (and for personal glory), Jenny wants to kill and cut them up for the hell of it.
{{quote|'''Jenny:''' ''(pulling out a scalpel)'' Does this mean I get to dissect the little skebangas?
'''Mildeye:''' ''(looking at the scalpel)'' I have to say I find it a little disconcerting that you had that quite so readily to hand. }}
* [[Stepford Smiler]]: Homily in the early parts of the movie; she's keeping up a happy facade for Arrietty's benefit but only really manages to come off as delusional.
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