Brisby and the secret of NIMH - The 1982 animated film
Brisby and the secret of NIMH (The Secret of NIMH) it's a animation film fantasy American of 1982 directed by Don Bluth in his directorial debut and based on the 1971 children's novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. The film features the voices of Elizabeth Hartman, Peter Strauss, Arthur Malet, Dom DeLuise, John Carradine, Derek Jacobi, Hermione Baddeley and Paul Shenar.
The film was released in the United States on July 2, 1982 by MGM / UA Entertainment Co. It was followed in 1998 by a direct-to-video sequel, The secret of NIMH 2 - Timmy to the rescue, which was made without Bluth's involvement or input. In 2015, it was reported that a live-action / computer-animated remake was in the works.
History
Mrs. Brisby, a widowed field mouse, lives in a concrete block with her children in a field on the Fitzgibbons farm. He needs to move his family off the field as plowing time approaches, but his son Timothy has fallen ill. She visits Mr. Ages, a friend of her late husband, Jonathan. Ages diagnoses the disease as pneumonia, provides Brisby with medicine, and warns her that Timothy must stay home for at least three weeks or he will die. On the way home, Brisby befriends Jeremy, a clumsy but friendly crow. They both narrowly escape the Fitzgibbon cat, Dragon.
The next morning, Brisby learns farmer Fitzgibbons has started plowing early. Though her neighbor Aunt Shrew helps her disable her tractor, Brisby knows she has to come up with another plan. Jeremy takes her to meet the Great Owl, who tells her to visit a colony of rats living under a rosebush on the farm and ask for the services of Nicodemus, their wise and mystical leader.
Brisby enters the rose bush and encounters an aggressive guard mouse named Brutus, who chases her away. She is brought back to Ages and is amazed to see the mice use electricity and other technologies. Meet Justin, the friendly captain of the guard; Jenner, a ruthless and power-hungry rat opposed to Nicodemus; and finally Nicodemus himself. From Nicodemus, she learns that many years ago the mice, along with her husband and Ages, were part of a series of experiments at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH for short). The experiments boosted their intelligence, allowing them to escape, as well as extending their lifespan and slowing down their aging processes. However, they are unable to live as normal mice would, and they need human technology to survive, which they have only achieved by stealing. Nicodemus has cleared a plan for the mice to leave the farm and live independently in an area they call Thorn Valley.
Nicodemus gives Brisby a magical amulet that will only activate when the wearer is brave. Due to the rats' relationship with Jonathan, they agree to help her move home. First, they have to drug Dragon so that it can be done safely. Only Brisby can do that, as mice can't get through the hole he brings into the house; Jonathan was killed by Dragon in a previous attempt, while Ages broke his leg in another. That night, she puts the drug on Dragon's plate, but the Fitzgibbon son Billy takes it. While trapped in a bird cage, she overhears a telephone conversation between farmer Fitzgibbons and NIMH staff and discovers that the institute intends to exterminate the mice in the morning. Brisby then escapes from the cage and runs to warn them.
When a thunderstorm approaches, the mice begin to move the Brisby house, with the children and Aunt Shrew inside, using a system of ropes and pulleys. Jenner, who wishes the rats to remain in the rose bush, sabotages the assembly with his reluctant accomplice Sullivan, causing it to fall apart and crush Nicodemus to death. Brisby arrives early to warn the rats of NIMH's arrival, but Jenner attacks her and attempts to steal the amulet. Sullivan notifies Justin, who comes to Brisby's aid. Jenner fatally wounds Sullivan but is wounded by Justin in a sword fight. As Jenner attempts to attack Justin from behind, the dying Sullivan throws a dagger into his back, killing him.
The Brisby house begins to sink into a mud pit and Brisby and the mice are unable to lift it. Brisby's willingness to save her family empowers the amulet, which she uses to lift the house and bring it to safety. The next morning, the mice, with Justin as their new boss, are off to Thorn Valley as Timothy begins to recover. Jeremy soon meets Miss Right, another crow as clumsy as he is, and they fall in love.
Production
The film rights to the book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH were reportedly offered to Walt Disney Productions in 1972, but were turned down.
Brisby and the Secret of NIMH was the first feature film to be directed by Don Bluth. On September 13, 1979, Bluth, fellow animators Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy, and eight other animation staff members left Disney's animation department to create their own independent studio, Don Bluth Productions. The studio initially worked from Bluth's home and garage, but several months later moved to a 5.500-square-foot (510 m2) two-story facility in Studio City, California. While still working at Disney, they produced the 27-minute short Banjo the Woodpile Cat as a side project to acquire other production capabilities that the company and their animation program weren't addressing. Bluth asked Ron W. Miller, Walt Disney's son-in-law and the company's president and CEO at the time, to see Banjo, but Miller refused. As Goldman recalled, “this took away the carpet of enthusiasm. We had hoped that the studio would like what we were doing and agree to buy the film and allow us to finish the short film in the studio, which would allow us to recoup what we spent in terms of money and the many hours that we and the other team members have invested in the film. "
Before they started making Banjo, story writer and artist Ken Anderson was interested in Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, which he called "a wonderful story." He gave the book to Bluth to read and make a film of it after Bluth finished directing the animation of Pete's Dragon. Bluth later showed NIMH to Disney animation director Wolfgang Reitherman, who turned down Bluth's offers to make a film based on the book, stating, "We already have a mouse and we made a movie about mice." However, Bluth also introduced the novel to the other staff who would work for Don Bluth Productions later on and everyone loved it. Two months later, former Disney executive James L. Stewart, who had now started Aurora Productions, called Goldman and told him about Anderson's idea of making a NIMH-based film. At the request of Bluth, Goldman and Pomeroy, Aurora Productions acquired the film rights and offered Don Bluth Productions a budget of $ 5,7 million and 30 months to complete the film, a smaller budget and schedule than most. part of the Disney animated films of the time.
Credits
Original title The Secret of NIMH
Country of Production United States of America
Year 1982
Duration 82 min
Gender dramatic, thriller, adventure, fantastic, sentimental
Regia Don Bluth
Subject Robert C. O'Brien
Film script Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy, Will Finn
Producer Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy
Executive producer Rich Irvine, James L. Stewart
Editor Jeffrey C. Patch
Music Jerry Goldsmith
Entertainers Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy, Will Finn, Lorna Cook, Heidi Guedel, Linda Miller, Emily Juliano, Skip Jones, Dan Kuenster, Dave Spafford, David Molina, Kevin Wuerzer
Wallpapers Ron Dias, Don Moore, David Goetz
Original voice actors
Hermione Baddeley: Shrewish aunt
John Carradine: Great Owl
Dom DeLuise: Jeremiah
Elizabeth Hartman: Mrs Brisby
Derek Jacobi: Nicodemus
Arthur Malet: Mr. Agenore
Paul ShenarCornelius
Peter Strauss: Justin
Italian voice actors
Flora Carosello: Shrewish aunt
Carlo Alighiero: Great Owl
Piero Tiberi: Jeremiah
Flaminia Jandolo: Mrs. Brisby
Giorgio Piazza: Nicodemus
Gianfranco Bellini: Mr. Agenore
Sergio Tedesco: Cornelius
Sergio Di Stefano: Justin
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/
