I read on Jeremy Hodges' page that a list of mistakes in The Secret of Nimh would be a colossal waste of time. Immediately, I knew I had to do such a list, eventually. :) The funny thing is that it would never have occurred to me on my own to do so, if I hadn't gotten the idea from Jeremy. -heh heh-

I hope this list won't be taken as an attempt to belittle The Secret of NIMH. Most of these mistakes would never even have been noticed if we hadn't seen the film over and over again (even analysing it frame-by-frame in some cases). In other words, these mistakes are a sign of just how much we all love this film. So if you find one, be proud, stand tall, and send it in!

Ready? Here we go!

1. How Many Fingers? This is the one everyone knows about, but it's also one of the best. Nicodemus has five fingers (counting the thumb) per hand, but Jenner has only four. As for Justin, well, the animators didn't seem to give a whole hell of a lot of a damn how many fingers he had, because he flips back and forth.
   
   
2. Auntie Shrew, Psychic Friend. "If one of those hairy barbarians comes through that door...." If you watch closely, you see that Auntie Shrew reacts to the sound of the rats a second before it happens.
   
   
3. The Disappearing Bandage. At the end of the film, Teresa is bandaging Mrs. Brisby's hands. Then, she takes the leftover bandages, rolls them in a ball, and places it to her left. In the next shot, it has magically vanished.
   
   
4. Jenner's Aim. Jenner is pretty specific in his plan to kill Nicodemus. He plans to drop the concrete block on him, and "crush his bones." But, when he actually drops the block, it doesn't fall anywhere near Nicodemus, who is killed instead by the backlash of the equipment. Was Jenner just not specific enough to Sullivan, or was this a combination of bad aim and good luck?
   
   
5. Hasn't NIMH Ever Heard Of Regular Business Hours? I mean, really, how many government institutions call your house in the middle of the night? Bash your door down, maybe....
   
   
6. The Magic String. The cage Mrs. Brisby is housed in consists of vertical bars with some metal ornamental designs added. When Mrs. Brisby pulls the string through the bars of the cage, it passes through the bars beneath one of those designs. In the next shot, it's passing through the round part of the design. In the shot after that, it's passing through the diamond shaped part of the design. Neat trick.
   
   
7. The Lady Vanishes. After being chased up a tree by Dragon, both the cat and Mrs Brisby fall toward the camera, but as the camera pans down to watch the characters fall away from it, Mrs. Brisby is gone.
   
   
8. Jenner's Sword. After Jenner is stabbed by Justin, we see his sword neatly stood up against a rock. However, we don't actually see him place it there until the next shot.
   
   
9. Transparent Rodents. Under the Fitzgibbon's kitchen, light streams through a hole in the floor. For some reason, neither Mrs. Brisby nor Justin casts any shadow in this light. Well, except as she passes through the hole, that is. A similar error occurs as Mrs. Brisby reads from Nicodemus' book.
   
   
10. Disappearing Spiderweb. In the Owl's lair, the spider descends behind Mrs Brisby on a strand of silk. As soon as it touches the ground, the silk line simply vanishes.
    
    
11. Frau Brisby, I Presume? It's not strictly speaking a mistake, but has anyone ever noticed that Mrs. Brisby makes a brief cameo in An American Tail? As the ship departs Germany, watch the mice waving good-bye. She's wearing a red trenchcoat instead of a cape, but if that ain't Mrs. Brisby, she's the spittin' image!
    
    
12. Diamonds Are Forever, But Stones Come And Go. As Mrs Brisby learns of Nicodemus' death, her amulet is conspicuously visible. But, as she jumps onto the rock to warn the rats of Nimh's arrival, the amulet is gone. It doesn't reappear until after she's attacked by Jenner. --Pointed out by Jeremy Hodges.
    
    
13. Jenner's Tail. During the swordfight sequence, Jenner sometimes has a tail, sometimes he doesn't. --Pointed out by Kylen Miles.
    
    
14. Justin's Feet. The design of Justin's feet changes back and forth over the film. Sometimes his feet are the same color as the rest of his fur, sometimes they are a darker brown. Sometimes there's a little fringe of fur around his ankle, sometimes there isn't. --Pointed out by Kylen Miles. Kylen submitted a number of others, but these were the two best. The others were a bit too esoteric even for me, for example, the number of Mrs. Brisby's whiskers is not consistent throughout the film. She also claims that a human hair can be seen on Mrs. Brisby's face as she compliments Justin on the lights. I haven't been able to confirm that one myself.
    
    
15. Bubble Trouble. In the lower right hand side of the screen, one of the bubbles floating around as the Shrew does the wash starts out blue, but flashes red for a second.
    
    
16. The Magic String pt.II. While Auntie Shrew ties up Jeremy, we see his bill pass behind his body for a moment. When it emerges into view again, the string has magically wrapped itself around it. --Pointed out by J.D. McGinnis.
    
    
17. Where's The Door? The little door to the cage that the water dish passed through disappears once Mrs. Brisby is outside the cage. --Pointed out by J.D. McGinnis.
    
    
18. Get Out Of My Face. As Martin and Auntie Shrew yell at each other, they seem to be standing toe to toe. But when the camera pulls back to a longer shot, Martin is nowhere to be seen. --Pointed out by J.D. McGinnis.
    
    
19. What's The Buzz? "You look more like you're all tangled up!" As Mrs. Brisby says this line, we hear a buzzing noise in the background. It doesn't seem to have any significance to the plot, but Mrs. Brisby appears to react to it. Did a fly get too close to the microphone while the scene was recorded?
    
    
20. Intangibles. Justin hangs the Stone on a loop when Mrs. Brisby drugs the cat. When she later picks it up again, she pulls it right through the substance of the loop.
    
    
21. Size Matters Not? Justin seems a little too puny to be Captain of the Guard. The guards in the councilroom are fully twice as tall as he is. Perhaps his ally is the Force? That might explain why he doesn't bother to carry his own sword around.
    
    
22. Care For a Breath Mint? This one speaks for itself.
    
    
    --Submitted by Jeff McGinnis
    
23. Transparent Rodents pt.II. When Mr. Ages falls down the shaft of the thresher, he is transparent for a split second. --Pointed out by Scott Clagg. Don't believe him? See for yourself here. Thanks to JR for recapturing the image for me!
    
    
24. Heal Thyself. How could we all have overlooked this one for so long? When Sullivan throws the dagger, the wound he received from Jenner is nowhere to be seen. Pointed out by Megan Lucas. A similar mistake occurs when Jenner raises his sword to kill Justin. --Pointed out by Tracey Gail.
    
    
25. Your Other Left. Dragon's good eye is usually on the right side of his face. But, twice during the chase scene, it switches to the left; first when he starts up the tree, and second, just as the branch is breaking. It's also on his left when Mrs. Fitzgibbon complains about his sleeping too much.
    
    
26. Let's Redecorate After Dinner. The washing machine in the Fitzgibbons' kitchen starts out on the left side of the room. Later, we see it on the right.
    
    
27. The Invisible Plow. After demobilizing the plow, it comes to a halt mere inches from the Brisby home. And yet, in later exterior shots of the cinderblock, the plow is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the farmer hauled it back to the garage? No, because in the establishing shot of the epilogue, we see that the plow is still right where he left it.
    
    
28. I Need A Secretary. Mrs. Fitzgibbons tells her husband about the man from NIMH, and says "I told him you'd call him back," suggesting that the man from NIMH had phoned. But, according to Mrs. Fitzgibbons a few moments earlier, he didn't phone, he actually visited the house.
    
    
29. The Missing Line. What Mrs. Brisby reads from Nicodemus' book is different from what we can see written there. It reads: "Jonathan Brisby was a mouse of great courage. He made possible the rats' escape etc. etc." She says: "Jonathan Brisby made possible the rats' escape etc. etc." --Pointed out by Nathaniel Price.
    
    
30. Temporal Anomoly, Captain! While riding the water wheel up to the mill, Mrs. Brisby seems to "skip" a rung. --Pointed out by Vaughn L. Porter.
    
    
31. The Magic String pt. III. Martin lassoes Jeremy's beak shut from below, but in the next shot, the string around his beak is suspended from above Jeremy's head again, as it was originally. --Pointed out by Nathaniel Price.
    
    
32. Your Other Left pt.II. As Justin jumps over the platform to stab Jenner, his sword is in his left hand. In the shots previous and following, it's in his right. --Pointed out by Steve Seidler. Note: I've been told by Greg that you can see the switchover if you go through it frame by frame. I don't know...I can't see it myself :)
    
    
33. Future Guess Girl? In the very first shots we see of Teresa, she is seen to have a slip, or petticoat, or whatever underneath her dress. In all following shots, it's gone.
    
    
34. Wandering Smoke. The smoke coming out of the chimney of the Brisby house doesn't properly match up with the chimney, appearing to come from a point an inch or two below it on screen. Then it wanders upward.
    
    
35. The Magic String pt.IV. A length of string wrapped around Jeremy's wing disappears in one shot, then reappears in the next.
    
    
36. Need a Landscaper? The area around the Brisby home gets covered with vegetation a surprisingly short time after the moving. Like overnight.
    
    
37. More Missing Tails. During the house sinking, both Cynthia and Teresa are missing theirs. --Pointed out by Tracey Gail.
    
    
38. Intension Cord? The extension cord the rats haul into the rosebush is considerably shorter by the end of the scene. --Pointed out by Tracey Gail.
    
    
39. Intangibles pt. II. When Dragon chases Mrs. Brisby up the tree, one frame shows his left claw passing right through the stump of a branch.
    
    
    --Pointed out by Greg aka Nicodemus.
    
    
40. Size Matters Not? pt. II. Despite the fact that the rats are at least three times bigger than Mrs. Brisby, the door they built for their own use is the perfect size for her. How does Brutus even fit through it? --Pointed out by J.C. Foster.
    
    
41. How Many Fingers? pt. II. Nicodemus has only three fingers when he opens the cage at NIMH. Later, of course, he has four. --Pointed out by J.C. Foster.
    
    
42. Two Faced Stone. As the Stone flies out of the mud, it first flies toward the camera, and then away from it. In both shots, however, the gem is facing the audience. --Pointed out by J.C. Foster.
    
    
43. Lend Me Your Ears. Perhaps it's just an optical illusion produced by that huge bow she wears, but Kari Gilmore says that Teresa doesn't have any ears. I checked myself, and damned if she isn't right!
    
    
44. That Robe Ain't Colorfast... During the council scene, watch the rat who says "He means war." A section of his robe briefly changes color, then back again. --Pointed out by Matthew.
    
    
45. ...But the Sword is Stainless Steel. The blood on Jenner's sword disappears as the duel begins. --Pointed out by Tubaking.
    
    
46. Temporal Anomoly, Captain! pt II Check out the scene in which we see the block being lifted clear of the mud. In the shot just previous, with the rats turning the giant winch, we can see it in the background already raised. --Pointed out by Ken Provencher.
    
    
47. Prowlin' Brows. Jenner's eyebrows seem to be attached at just a single point, but in at least one instance, he arches them in such a way that it's clear they're not attached anywhere! Most noticeable during the line "Accidents could happen." --Pointed out by Andy Sikora
    
    
48. Open Door Policy. I'm not sure if this is really a mistake, since it could be easily explained by Nicodemus' ability to move objects around, but I love this observation so much I'm including it anyway. Mrs. Brisby leaves the door open when she enters Nicodemus' chamber, but later, when Justin arrives, it's closed again (actually, we never see it opened, but we hear Justin knock, and the door squeak, so presumably it was shut). --Pointed out by Andy Sikora
    
    
49. Odd Reflections. The reflective floor of the Council Chamber behaves in all sorts of strange ways. When Jenner kneels before Mrs. Brisby for instance, his reflection is transparent; you can see the wall right through it. It also jumps around strangely as he backs away. --Pointed out by Andy Sikora
    
    

Well, how about it? Any undiscovered gems out there?

1. "Her home was Jonathan's home."
   Technically, no. Jonathan would never have lived in the cinder block.
2. "I will treasure it always."
   Or until you give it away to the first pretty face that comes along. Whichever comes first.
3. "Damn!"
   Justin says this right after Mrs. Fitzgibbons tells Billy to "put it outside." Does he not want him to put her outside? Shouldn't he have said "damn" after Billy talks his mother into letting him keep Mrs. Brisby?
4. "No one has ever seen the Owl, and lived to tell about it!"
   Oh really? I was under the impression that the Owl and Nicodemus were "dear comrades." Is Ages really that far out of the loop?
5. "The frost is off the ground and Moving Day is at hand."
   Since there is no snow or frost appearing at any time in the film, it's reasonable to say that the nearness of Moving Day is obvious. Mrs. Brisby knew without being told that "Moving Day is nearly here," so what's the point of Auntie Shrew telling everyone? Pointed out by Jeff McGinnis.
6. "The injections slowed the aging process."
   Didn't work so well on you, did it Nicodemus?
   
7. "Why did you send for me?
   A better question: How did they send for him? If they sent a rat to fetch Ages, why isn't that rat with Ages when he arrives at the bush? Surely the rat wouldn't have let him make the trip unescorted, especially with a broken leg!

• How exactly do the Brisbys get in and out of their house? I can't see an opening anywhere.
  
  
• Doesn't Nicodemus think it necessary to attend council meetings?
  
  
• Why are the rats so careless about allowing lightshows to be seen from outside the rosebush? Don't the Fitzgibbons ever look out their windows at night? Note: Joe "Equinox" wrote to me with an ingenius theory linking the Rats of NIMH with the entire UFO phenomena...are you ready for this? Thorn Valley is also Area 51! It also helps explain why "aliens" always seem to go after farmers.
  
  
• Remember that vine thingy that almost grabs Mrs. Brisby when she enters the rosebush? Just what the heck is that thing supposed to be? Note: Mortis5555 has suggested that the vine thingy is the rosebush actually growing, and adds that since bushes don't grow that fast, this actually should be placed as a mistake. What do you think? Meanwhile, Edwin Quantrall says that he believes Nicodemus, either through bio-manipulation or magical means, endowed the vines with semi-sentience in order to guard the entrance. I guess he has a point; considering all the other supernatural elements in this film, it seems silly to quibble about a few animated vines :)
  
  
• Isn't pneumonia contagious? Note: According to Edwin Quantrall, pneumonia is actually not a disease itself, but a symptom of infection of the lungs that can have several causes, some contagious, some not. Thanks, Edwin!
  
  
• Where was the Shrew while the house was filling with mud? For that matter, who was looking out for Timothy? Asked by Nathaniel Price
  
  
• How does the Owl know the Brisby's live in a "moveable" house? Asked by Jeff McGinnis
  
  
• Of what use is the Amulet to Jenner if it can only be used by one with a "courageous heart?" Asked by Megan Lucas
  
  
• NEW! Why on earth does Jenner need Sullivan's help to begin with? --Asked by Ken Provencher.
  
  

From the "A Dirty Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste" department....