The Secret of NIMH (1982) Thriller Drama Sci-Fi Mystery Fantasy Adventure Family Animation

Rated G | Threatrical Jul 16, 1982 (US) | Genres Thriller, Drama, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Fantasy, Adventure, Family, Animation | Runtime 1h 22m
The Secret of NIMH (1982) Thriller Drama Sci-Fi Mystery Fantasy Adventure Family Animation Poster

The Secret of NIMH Plot Synopsis:

Mrs. Brisby, a widowed mouse, lives in a cinder block with her children on the Fitzgibbon farm. She is preparing to move her family out of the field they live in as plowing time approaches, however her son Timothy has fallen ill, and moving him could prove fatal. Mrs. Brisby visits The Great Owl, a wise creature who advises her to visit a mysterious group of rats who live beneath a rose bush on the farm. Upon visiting the rats, Brisby meets Nicodemus, the wise and mystical leader of the rats, and Justin, a friendly rat who immediately becomes attached to Mrs. Brisby. While there, she learns that her late husband, Mr. Jonathon Brisby, along with the rats, was a part of a series of experiments at a place known only as N.I.M.H. (revealed earlier in the story as the National Institute of Mental Health). The experiments performed on the mice and rats there boosted their intelligence, allowing them to read without being taught and to understand things such as complex mechanics and electricity. The rats and Mr. Brisby escaped from N.I.M.H. and came to live on the Fitzgibbon farm. The rats created a home for themselves under Mrs. Fitzgibbon's rose bush, creating an elaborate habitation of beautiful chambers, elevators, and Christmas lights. However, the rats are unhappy in their dependence on the humans, who they are stealing electricity from, and have concocted a plan to leave the farm and live independently. Because of her husband's prior relationship with the rats, they agree to help Mrs. Brisby move her home out of the path of the plow. However, the evil Jenner and his unwilling accomplice Sullivan, who wish to remain beneath the rose bush, yet plot to kill Nicodemus during the move.


Synopsis / Plot Summary: To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she ever suspected.

Tagline: Right before your eyes and beyond your wildest dreams.

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Official Trailer

  • The Secret of NIMH Official Trailer

The Secret of NIMH Movie Information:

Type: Movie
Year: 1982 (more 1982 movies)
MPAA Rating: G
Runtime: 82 minutes /
Genres:  Thriller, Drama, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Fantasy, Adventure, Family, Animation
Sub-Genres:  Kids
Directors: Don Bluth
Stars: Derek Jacobi, Elizabeth Hartman, Arthur Malet, Dom DeLuise, Hermione Baddeley … (cast list)
Release Date: Theatrical Release Date Jul 16, 1982
Box Office: $14,665,733
Awards: 2
Nominations: 2
Language: English
Country: United States
Release Dates: Movie Release Dates / The Secret of NIMH Release Dates In Theaters: Jul 16, 1982
Writers: Robert C. O'Brien, Don Bluth, John Pomeroy, Gary Goldman, Will Finn, Ken Anderson
Producers: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Rich Irvine, John Pomeroy, James L. Stewart
Editors: Jeffrey C. Patch

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