‘The Secret of NIMH’ shows the power of a mother’s love
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Here we go again. I've watched another pretty serious children's movie and I'm ready to share my thoughts with you lovely people who have decided to read this column. I thank each and every one of you in advance for dealing with my sudden obsession with these classic children's movies. Maybe one day I'll stop.
1982's "The Secret of NIMH" is another animated masterpiece from Don Bluth. Based on the book "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien, it takes place on a rural farm and centers around the wild critters that call it home. And no, I'm not talking about the farmers, they're very nice people from what I could tell while watching.
No, this film centers around Mrs. Brisby (Elizabeth Hartman) -- a widowed field mouse -- who soon learns the secrets her rather intelligent husband kept from her.
Timid Mrs. Brisby, who lives in a cinderblock in a field on the Fitzgibbons' farm, races against time to save her home and her four children when plow season comes earlier than expected. Her youngest son Timmy has caught pneumonia and cannot be taken from the home for three weeks, preventing them from moving somewhere safer.
While on her quest she learns from The Great Owl (John Carradine) about the rats of NIMH. The hyper intelligent rodents, lead by magic wielding Nicodemus (Derek Jacobi), were experimented on at the National Institute of Mental Health and soon escaped with the help of Jonathan Brisby.
Nicodemus tells Mrs. Brisby about her husband's past and that he and the other rats intend to leave the rosebush and find Thornvalley, a place were they can live without stealing and thrive. Of course, not everyone is in favor of Nicodemus's plan.
I think "The Secret of NIMH" highlights the strength of a mother's love. Throughout the film Mrs. Brisby finds herself in terrifying situations but would push through them for her children.
She braved seeing The Great Owl, helped knock out the Fitzgibbon's terrifying cat Dragon -- Bluth loves making cats the villain I've noticed -- and even escaped the clutches of the Fitzgibbon's son Billy. Whenever she seemed ready to falter, her mission and the love she had for her children drove her to face her fears.
It's something that I'm sure many mothers can relate to. That impulse to protect your children no matter the cost.
As usual, the animation was flawless -- you really can't go wrong with 2D animation -- and the music paired well. Even though I've seen this movie multiple times over the years, the intense music in certain scenes had me tense as I waited for an outcome I knew would happen anyway.
"The Secret of NIMH" was actually the first film Bluth directed. It turns out Walt Disney Productions was offered the rights to the book by O'Brien but they turned it down. I'm glad really, I don't think they could have done it justice like Bluth.
The film is clearly a favorite of many, having scored a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 7/10 on IMDB. It would even go on to win a Saturn Award for Best Film. And in 1998, a sequel "The Secret of NIMH: Timmy to the Rescue," was released… although Bluth had no involvement.
I would consider "The Secret of NIMH" a classic with the usual Bluth level of dark premises. As I've said before, he's a master at weaving together intricate storylines that can really make you think as an adult.
"The Secret of NIMH" can be viewed on Tubi, YouTube, Vudu, Pluto TV, Google Play and Amazon Prime.
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Laura Jameson is a staff reporter for
The Express.