The Borrowers

Starring: John Goodman, Mark Williams Director: Peter Hewitt Original UK Premiere: 1997 Dvd Release: 16th October, 1998 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: Full Screen, PAL, Widescreen, Region 2 Encoding Subtitled In: Dutch Dubbed In: Dutch, German

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The Borrowers is a novel by Mary Norton about tiny people who borrow things from normal humans & keep their existence unknown. There have been three distinct screen adaptations of the book. The first was an American made-for- TV movie, shot on videotape to facilitate the necessary special effects. The second was a BBC television series starring Ian Holm. The third was a 1998 theatrical movie starring John Goodman as an evil lawyer, Jim Broadbent as the head of the Borrowers family & Celia Imrie as his wife, set in a fictional country that contains elements of Britain, France & America. This film seems to reverse the Hollywood cliche of having a British villian, as it features an all British cast with an American actor as villian. Two of the movies other actors, Tom Felton & Mark Williams, went on to appear in the Harry Potter films.

The popular childrens books by Mary Norton have been filmed before, but never with as much imagination & ingenuity as youll find on display in this delightful fantasy film released to critical praise in 1998. The eponymous Borrowers are a family of tiny people who live in the walls & under the floorboards in the homes of normal-sized humans; they earn their by borrowing the household items needed to furnish their tiny hiding places & provide their meals. The little Clock family lives happily undisturbed in the home of an aged aunt, but when the aunt dies & her will is stolen by an unscrupulous lawyer , the Clocks face eviction & the frightening hazards of the outside world. Under the ingenious direction of Peter Hewitt, this simple, straightforward movie mixes comedy, adventure, & suspense with some of the cleverest special effects youve ever seen, taking full advantage of effects technologies to immerse you in the world of the tiny people. A climactic chase scene in a milk-bottling plant is a visual tour de force, & the movies smart & dazzling enough to entertain parents & children alike. After its modest success in cinemas, The Borrowers stands a good chance of becoming a home-video favourite.

John Goodman is an American actor, best known for his many comic roles, including Fred Flintstone in the movie The Flintstones, Roseanne Barr s husband in the TV sitcom Roseanne, the voice of Sully in Monsters, Inc. & many roles in movies of The Coen Brothers. He had his own sitcom called Normal, Ohio in which he played an anti-typical gay man who returns to his small hometown to start a life. The show was panned & although it projected a positive message for homosexuals gay fans did not respond well. Goodman has also been a popular guest host a number of times on NBC TVs Saturday Night Live. Cliffords Really Big Movie as George Wolfsbottom. Father of the Pride TV Series as Larry the Lion. Monsters, Inc. as James P Sulley Sullivan. One Night at McCools as Detective Dehling. Saturday Night Live. Best of the Clinton Scandal as Linda Tripp. Normal, Ohio TV Series as William Butch Gamble/Rex Gamble. The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle as Oklahoma Cop. O Brother, Where Art Thou? as Big Dan Teague. What Planet Are You From? as Roland Jones. Now & Again TV Series as Michael Wiseman. Posters Of The Big Lebowski

Editors Choice: Father Of The Pride, The Jungle Book 2, The Big Lebowski, The Emperors New Groove, Collectors Edition, The Flintstones, The Jack Bull, Fallen, View DVDology

Mark Williams is the current coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League. He was also a star player with Port Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League, before joining Collingwood, where he rose to the position of captain of the club during the mid- 1980s. After the 1986 season he left to become the first player to be signed with the newly-founded Brisbane Bears & was named vice-captain to Mark Mickan. Mark Williams retired from the AFL during the 1990 season to return to Port Adelaide. After his playing days were completed he joined Essendon as an assistant coach & in 2000 won the head coaching role at Port Adelaide, which had moved to the AFL in 1997 & renamed itself the Power. Port Adelaide topped the ladder at the end of 2002 & 2003, but losses in finals ruined their chances of winning the premiership. However in 2004 they again topped the ladder & Williams became Port Adelaides first AFL premiership -winning coach, with the team defeating the Brisbane Lions.

Editors Choice: The Borrowers, View DVDology

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