~When Marnie Was There~
In 2014 Studio Ghibli released “When Marnie Was There.” a movie based off a book of the same name. It was written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (who directed “The Secret World of Arrietty”).
It is about a girl who lives in a foster home and has various emotional problems as well as some health issues. She is sent to the country side to stay with her foster mothers family for fresh air in hopes she gets better. She does not get along with others easily and seems to have quite a bit social anxiety on top of issues many girls her age deal with. She prefers to keep to herself and draw things around her, which she is very talented at.
Early on during her stay with relatives she sees a beautiful abandoned house on a hill side and begins to see a girl and others living there. She becomes secret friends with the girl Marnie and with her help she grows quite a bit while making a few revelations.
I’ll say right away that I usually enjoy movies like this that really show some of the raw problems some people face. Plus I like more down to earth and relatable stories like “Whisper of the Heart” sometimes over other more exciting go go go movies. I found myself understanding the main character and some of the feelings she has which seem very common in many pubescent girls of the same age. Some of the story telling was a bit choppy to me but I think with what is going on in the story it is hard for it not to be. I love the scenery in this movie and feel it shows that wonderful background that other Studio Ghibli movies have. After watching this movie I would really like to read the novel it was based off of for sure.
Have you seen this movie? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments!
Posted on March 8, 2016, in Anime, Uncategorized and tagged Anime, ghibli magic, growing up, movie based on a book, Studio Ghibli, when marnie was there. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
KawaiiHousewife 
I think it is worth seeing, as all Studio Ghibli movies are. The set up was pretty good, but the follow through
That being said,it is a very flawed movie. The character development was weak, and the storyline / storytelling was confusing … even for those of us who were willing to go along for the ride.
Did you ever care about the main character? Why should we?
Contrast her to the characters in “Whisperers of the Heart” you mentioned.
Still, WMWT is better that 90% of what comes out of Hollywood.
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I agree that the story telling was a bit confusing for sure. I liked the main character to an extent because she was very real to me but some of the things I didnt like, like how she very quickly became rude and mean to the other girls who were trying to be her friend. I would have punished me a child if I ever heard her call someone else a name like that for sure.
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I guess part of the story was how she grew out of being a brat like that … once she had a fuller understanding about the people who were responsible for her life.
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