A little of this, a little of that.
Based on Mary Norton’s beloved novel, The Borrowers (1997) beautifully captures that heightened Roald Dahl-esque child’s-eye view of the world – where everything is off-kilter, vast, and unknowable.
For the Clock family, a loose floorboard is a door, a nail is a foothold, and the quiet hum of the human world above is a constant, unpredictable force. Every journey beyond their home is an expedition, every household object a puzzle to be solved. It’s a film that invites us to see the world from a child’s perspective – it reminds us what it’s like to always be looking up at everything, to navigate a landscape built for giants, to borrow what’s needed from them, and disappear before being seen.
The cast is packed with big names, but John Goodman chews the scenery with the kind of larger-than-life presence that could have slipped straight out of a Coen Brothers flick, or one of Danny DeVito’s more delightfully kinetic movies. His Ocious P. Potter is the perfect villain for this universe – comically oversized, blustering, and always just a little too close for comfort, like a proverbial hurricane in a teacup.
If Small Soldiers (released a little later) had the polish of a Hollywood effects glass showcase, The Borrowers feels more like something unearthed from the back of a childhood bookshelf, like The Indian in the Cupboard or Stuart Little. It’s mischievous, charming, a little rough around the edges, but all the more lovable for it. -Pop