Hope, courage, fantasy, action, adventure, suspense: all these elements and more are part of the exciting full-length feature The Secret of NIMH. Based on the Newbery award-winning children's classic by Robert C. O'Brien, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, this story comes to life on the screen in breathtaking classical animation with so much emphasis on detail as to thoroughly engage the viewer in its fantasy.
This approach to making animated films, rich in detail, with outstanding production values, believeable use of shadows and special effects, together with a strong story line touching on real human emotions, is the basic philosophy of Don Bluth Productions, creators of The Secret of NIMH.
The rats of NIMH are an advanced breed of rats who escape from the National Institute of Mental Health and form a very sophisticated society. Numerous tests were performed on them during their captivity at NIMH utilizing countess injections and experiments which enables them to secretly develop their minds to a level of intelligence surpassing human beings. In addition to gaining longevity, learning to communicate, read and write, they now understand the difference between right and wrong and have developed morally as well as spiritually.
Using their super intelligence they help poor Mrs. Brisby, a shy, meek little field mouse with a big problem. Widowed, mother of four, she is faced with the danger of losing her home and family unless she can quickly move them from the path of the farmer's plow. Her problem is complicated by the fact that one of her children is critically ill and cannot go out into the cold air. The rats undertake to move her, her family and their cinderblock house to safety, defying man, beast and nature in order to do it.
Along the way we meet many fascinating characters: some good, some bad, some cute, some funny, some scary, some evil, some mystical, some omnipotent:
Mrs. Brisby, played by Elizabeth Hartman is essentially a very nice lady, a loving mother who cares for her family above all. In possibly the strongest role ever written for a lady mouse, Mrs. Brisby, recently widowed and frightened at the prospect of raising four little children alone, faces one dangerous situation after another, overcoming obstacle after obstacle, showing us that even the meekest indivuduals can conquer fear and danger by mustering up their courage and being persistent.
Her children are basically good kids who very much miss their father. The oldest is Teresa (Shannon Doherty), a perfect little lady and surrogate mother to the group. She wants to grow up to be just like her mother and loves helping around the house. Her biggest problem is Martin (Wil Wheaton) who's a little unruly and resents being bossed around by his sister. Free in spirit and an adventurer, it is Martin who goes to search for his mother in the deserted underground kingdom during the climax of the film. Cynthia (Jodi Hicks) is a magpie; a happy little baby girl who tags along and doesn't make waves. Timothy (Ian Fried) is the focus of the family. Always frail and sickly, he's a little reminiscent of Tiny Tim. He almost died from a spider bite when he was smaller and is now very ill with pneumonia. He's extremely intellectual for his years and has ideas that amaze and confound Mrs.Brisby. His father Jonathan, subjected to the same tests and experiments as the mysterious rats of NIMH, may have passed his newly developed intelligence genetically to his children and to Timothy in particular.
Their neighbor Shrew (Hermione Baddeley) is an old busybody who is the self-appointed caretaker of all the animals in the field. she interferes with everybody's business and the Brisby children take great delight in teasing her.
Jeremy the crow (Dom DeLuise), feeling the call of the wild, desperately wants to meet Ms. Right, fall in love and settle down. He sees himself as dashing, charming, sophisticated and handsome and can't understand why all the lady birds he meets aren't crazy about him. The world at large sees him as a bumbling, clumsy oaf who means very well but is just a little loony. Good natured and funny, he's certainly the comedy star of the film.
Mr. Ages (Arthur Malet) just wants to be left alone. He hates everybody, especially humans. He too was at NIMH. He too was at the receiving end of many injections; therefore, he too has a very highly developed intellect. A chemist by professoin, he concocts the potion to drug the cat so as to facilitate the escape plan. Old and crotchety, he reluctantly agrees to help Mrs. Brisby in her plight.
The Owl (John Carradine) is ancient, omnipotent and awesome. A godlike figure, terrifying to one and all, he lives in an old hollow tree in the forest. Since owls eat mice, it takes an incredible amount of courage for Mrs. Brisby to even think of approaching him. He's the one who says "go to the rats..."
Nicodemus (Derek Jacobi) is the leader of the highly sophisticated society. He's a good leader, revered and respected by his followers. Under his leadership a fantastic city has been built and a whole community developed. His powers are so advanced that they're beyond magic for his is the gift of true scientific knowledge which he uses for good purpose as the head of the rats of NIMH.
Jenner (Paul Shenar), a lieutenant in Nicodemus' army, tries to undermine every plan. He's avaricious and pawer mad, determined to inherit the throne at all costs. His arch enemy, therefore is Justin (Peter Strauss), captain of the guard under Nicodemus, his devoted follower and chosen successor. While he too wants power, he is loyal and faithful in executing his responsibilities.
Brutus, as fierce and terrifying a rat as his name implies, is so powerful and strong as to scare anyone away from the mysterious city. Farmer and Mrs. Fitzgibbons run the farm where all our new friends live and together with Dragon, their fierce cat, mortal enemy of all the mice and rats of the field, they wreak havoc at every turn.
Bringing all these wonderful characters to life is a team of animators who, under the skilled direction of Don Bluth, pour all their energies into creating dimensional, classical animation in the much respected style of Walt Disney.
Bluth, Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy, the three creative principals of Don Bluth Productions, believe the art of classic animation has been waning since Walt Disney passed away in 1966.
To do classic animation properly, a tremendous amount of time, patience, equipment and money is involved. All of these values show on the screen in The Secret of NIMH.
Don Bluth Productions is a bustling place, charged with creativity, where approximately 55 dedicated people -- creators, artists, animators, background artists, special effects people, camera operators, film editors, technicians, color stylists and office workers -- labor as one in an effort to bring their dream to the screen. Totally involved in their work, they seem to lose all sense of time and frequently have to be reminded to go home. This two-story modern office building has been converted into a studio that can barely contain the energy and enthusiasm within its walls. Each and every person feels Mrs. Brisby is "his" film. Each works as part of a whole and each contributes significantly to the whole.
The animators have been encouraged to "be" actors, surrogate actors with pencils and brushes who bring their work to life so an audience believes in what is happening. Their top priority goes into the story and development of characters. While the story line for The Secret of NIMH came from the classic book by Robert C. O'Brien, the characters were created for the screen by Bluth, Goldman and Pomeroy who designed them and inspired the animators to impart the role of actor when they drew them.
The thirty month shooting schedule is a lobor of love for all concerned. While some competitors churn out 12,000 feet of film a year for television cartoons, it will take Bluth Productions three years to produce 6,000 feet of film because of their incredible attention to detail. The animation camera goes through drawings voraciously at the rate of up to 24 drawings per second which equals approximately 1 1/2 feet of film. Each of these drawings is the work of at least four artists; the background painter who sets the mood of the piece by nuance of color, the animator who provides the action, synchronizing visuals with the sound track, the "in-betweener" who provides continuity of movement between the animators' drawings and the "clean-up" artist who brings rough characters into detail. From storyboard to final color, the entire image on the screen represents hours and hours of work by many artists. When completed, The Secret of NIMH containted approximately 1,000 background paintings and between 120,000 to 160,000 drawings done at the rate of two to four per artist per hour.
Special effects in animation is an artform unto itself. Dorse Lanpher, (See interview in Fantastic Films #29) head of special effects animation at Don Bluth Productions. is responsible for anything that moves which is not character animation. This includes crystalline snowflakes, driving rain, blasting wind, glistening cobwebs, skulking shadows, glowing eyes, or mystic fire, etc. Some shots also required the "rigging" of sets for layout concepts and the use of other sophisticated equipment such as an optical printer. Bluth also used two massive multiplane cameras that could shoot several layers simultaneously to give key scenes a three-dimensional effect. Prohibitive cost-wise, producers of "limited" animation have traditionally avoided the use of multiplane cameras and other costly extras, sacrificing the quality so important to these creators of The Secret of NIMH. Bluth Productions' attention to minute detail, character development, and special effects enhancement illustrates the difference in attitude between Saturday morning "quickie animation" and the esthetically charming artform which Don Bluth and his team have brought back to life in the true Disney tradition. Let's hope that the success of The Secret of NIMH will be but the first step in a long line of high quality fantasy animations from this group of dedicated artists.