A #Nerd Rant! The Secret Of NIMH
Friday, October 15, 2010 at 12:31PM
#TalkNerdyToMeLover’s Aaron Fitzgerald
Don Bluth’s, “The Secret Of NIMH”, is by far my favorite animated film of all time. Bluth and his team of artists began production on this amazing movie in Bluth’s garage while they were still working at Disney. The renegades weren’t happy with Disney’s productions at the time, wishing to produce traditional rated G films for families as Walt had done. United Artists picked up the movie and it was released with very limited advertising. The critics raved about it but it did less than modest at the box office.
My first memory of it was to watch it on HBO at three o’clock in the morning when I was fourteen. I must say I was blown away by the visuals. The background art is just incredible. The animation is fluid and rivals all of Disney’s masterpieces. I watched it over and over. The sequence with the Great Owl is just downright gorgeous. I particularly love the scene where Mrs. Brisby is flying on Jeremy’s back. It may be a little overdone but it’s excellent nonetheless. And I must not forget Mrs. Brisby’s journey into the rose bush.
Loosely based on the book, “Mrs. Frisby And The Rat’s Of NIMH”, the story revolves around a young widowed mouse, Mrs. Brisby, who’s son Timothy is sick with pneumonia and can’t be moved whereby they are threatened by the farmer digging up the farm with the plow. Mrs. Brisby is instructed by the Great Owl to seek the help of a society of intelligent rats that live in the rose bush by the farmhouse who can use their technology to move her house to the lee of the stone thereby protecting her family. Once introduced to the rats she discovers a frightening secret about them which leads to a thrilling conclusion of a battle between good and evil.
Although the film didn’t garner a ton of box office sales it quickly became a classic favorite to a lot of people and led to Bluth’s company getting a deal with Steven Spielberg to produce their second feature, “An American Tail”, which did fair well with ticket sales. Although the second venture is a bit lighter and more family friendly I still think, “The Secret Of NIMH”, is their masterpiece. Love you, Don!
Reader Comments (1)
My son (8) insisted when he saw the cover that that was "a girl movie" until I made him watch it. I do have to find An American Tale to watch with him though. You can find a lot of those old vhs tapes at thrifts nowadays. (And yes we still watch/own old vhs because they're magical!)