The Secret of NIMH

1982 83 min ★ 7.4 Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction

A widowed field mouse must move her family -- including an ailing son -- to escape a farmer's plow. Aided by a crow and a pack of superintelligent, escaped lab rats, the brave mother struggles to transplant her home to firmer ground.

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Cast

Elizabeth Hartman

Mrs. Brisby (voice)

Derek Jacobi

Nicodemus (voice)

Arthur Malet

Mr. Ages (voice)

Dom DeLuise

Jeremy (voice)

Hermione Baddeley

Auntie Shrew (voice)

Shannen Doherty

Teresa (voice)

Wil Wheaton

Martin (voice)

Jodi Hicks

Cynthia (voice)

Ina Fried

Timothy (voice)

John Carradine

Great Owl (voice)

Details

Director

Don Bluth

Screenplay

Don Bluth

Tagline

"Right before your eyes, and beyond your wildest dreams."

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Budget

$7,000,000

Revenue

$14,665,733

Production

United Artists, Aurora, Don Bluth Entertainment, Mrs. Brisby, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Reviews

R

RealZero

January 3, 2026

★ 10/10

This is still one of my favorite animated movies. It combines so many different emotions so well: a cute and loving family, the urgency and danger of fleeing (/moving) your home with dangerous and action-filled scenes, and dark and scary moments involving cats and owls, clearly some of a mouse's biggest fears. Mrs Brisby herself is an absolutely lovely, beautiful character. Right from the st...