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Trailer

The Borrowers

1997Movie1 h 27 minPG

65
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb5.9Letterboxd3.1/5Rotten Tomatoes73%49%

A wondrous, nostalgic adventure movie about fantasy and mystery.

Good for family movie night · friends night · party vibe

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Not for brutality.

Movies with

Story

Little People. Big Trouble. Lots of fun.

The four-inch-tall Clock family secretly share a house with the normal-sized Lender family, "borrowing" such items as thread, safety pins, batteries and scraps of food. However, their peaceful co-existence is disturbed when evil lawyer Ocious P. Potter steals the will granting title to the house, which he plans to demolish in order to build apartments. The Lenders are forced to move, and the Clocks face the risk of being exposed to the normal-sized world.

Feels like

  • Family Adventure
  • Fantasy
  • Nostalgic
  • Magical World
  • Children's Film
  • Whimsical
  • Charming
  • Heartwarming

Cast

15 of 15

Crew

Directed by
Peter Hewitt
Written by
Gavin Scott, John Kamps, Mary Norton
Produced by
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Rachel Talalay
Music by
Harry Gregson-Williams

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

December 5, 1997 · 1 h 27 min · PG

Released
December 5, 1997
Runtime
1 h 27 min
Age rating
PG
Genres
Adventure, Fantasy, Action, Comedy, Family
Original language
English
Made in
United Kingdom, United States
Budget
$29 million
Box office
$23 million
Available in
71 countries

Tropes

Cultural Translation, Retro Universe, Rock Bottom +9

  • Cultural Translation
  • Retro Universe
  • Rock Bottom
  • This Is What the Building Will Look Like
  • Humiliation Conga
  • Shout-Out
  • Papa Wolf
  • Meaningful Background Event
  • Canon Foreigner
  • Named by the Adaptation
  • Villainous Breakdown
  • The Determinator

12 of 45 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream The Borrowers?"

Questions about The Borrowers

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Borrowers?

Prime

In the United States, The Borrowers streams on Prime. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 15 other countries.

Is The Borrowers worth watching?

65
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 65 (IMDb 5.9, Letterboxd 3.1 out of 5, and Rotten Tomatoes 73%). Critics rate it higher (73 out of 100) than audiences (56).

Is The Borrowers okay for kids?

PG

Yes: it's rated PG in the United States, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.

Will The Borrowers make me laugh?

Light

Now and then: the humor is mostly slapstick (6 of 10) and situational comedy (5 of 10).

Will I feel good after watching The Borrowers?

BleakHopeful

Yes, it's an uplifting movie: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for hopefulness and 7 for wholesome.

Was The Borrowers a box office flop?

Budget$29 million
Box office$23 million

Yes: it cost about $29 million to make and earned $23 million worldwide, 78% of its budget.

What tropes does The Borrowers use?

Cultural TranslationRetro UniverseRock BottomThis Is What the Building Will Look LikeHumiliation CongaShout-OutPapa WolfMeaningful Background EventCanon ForeignerNamed by the AdaptationVillainous BreakdownThe Determinatorand 33 more

TV Tropes lists 45 tropes for it, including Cultural Translation, Retro Universe, and Rock Bottom.