When Marnie Was There (film)
Anna Sasaki stands alone in the Kushiro wetlands of Hokkaido. Her asthma attack at school had sent her to this rural seaside town between Kushiro and Nemuro. She wanders toward an abandoned mansion across a salt marsh. The tide rises quickly and traps her on the muddy ground. An elderly fisherman named Toichi finds her there. He pulls her back from the water before she drowns. Anna sees a blonde-haired girl inside the mansion windows. That night during the Tanabata festival, Marnie appears to her. They agree to keep their meetings secret from everyone else.
Marnie invites Anna to a party at the mansion where she dances with a boy named Kazuhiko. Anna sketches Marnie while watching her move through the room. Hisako, an older woman who paints, tells Anna that her drawings look like Marnie whom she knew when young. A family moves into the mansion and Anna meets Sayaka. Sayaka gives Anna Marnies diary hidden in a drawer. Anna learns her foster parents receive government payments for caring for her. She assumes they only pretend to love her for money. Marnie shares how cruel maids threatened to lock her in the silo near the mansion. Anna leads Marnie to confront the fear of that place together. A storm hits and Anna dreams of Marnie leaving before waking up alone.
Hiromasa Yonebayashi received the project assignment from Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki. He initially turned down the role because he thought visualizing the story would be very difficult. The original novel by Joan G. Robinson had been cited as one of Hayao Miyazakis favorite children's books. Yonebayashi eventually began conceiving new elements such as making Anna an artist character. He decided to relocate the setting from England to Japan despite initial hesitation. The decision to keep Marnie blonde and blue-eyed faced opposition from Miyazaki. Producer Yoshiaki Nishimura noted Miyazaki judged the usage plain outdated and cheesy for promotion purposes. Nishimura clarified that catching attention with appearance was never their intention.
Yohei Taneda designed the Marsh House that serves as the central location in the film. Yonebayashi asked him to draw the house as if it were another character watching over Anna. Taneda scouted actual buildings in Hokkaido for architectural inspiration. The studio focused heavily on highly detailed character movements throughout production. They also prioritized depicting environmental details of Annas experience in the wetlands. Makiko Futaki worked as an animator on this final project before her death in May 2016. This became the last film Yonebayashi directed for Ghibli before leaving to join Studio Ponoc. The visual approach aimed to encourage lonely children in Japan who felt isolated.
Priscilla Ahn wrote and performed the theme song Fine On The Outside for the movie. A two-disc soundtrack album called When Marnie Was There Soundtrack Music Collection released on CD in Japan. It also appeared as a digital download on the iTunes Store on the 16th of July 2014 across 113 countries worldwide. The first disc features music composed to express personality of characters and feel of places. The second disc contains all background music used during the film scenes. Ahn released an accompanying album titled Just Know That I Love You on the same date. The music team created soundscapes that matched the emotional tone of the story.
When Marnie Was There opened at third place in Japanese theaters with gross earnings during its opening weekend. By its fourth weekend it had earned additional revenue making an extra amount in the next two weekends. Total box office reached approximately 7 billion yen by the end of 2014 in Japan alone. Overseas sales included 114,679 tickets sold in France equivalent to roughly 850,000 euros in 2015. North American distribution began the 22nd of May 2015 through GKIDS with a total gross of $561,085 in United States and Canada. South Korea generated 1.2 billion won in 2015 while other territories added $763,191 for a worldwide total near 8 million dollars. Home media sales in Japan combined Blu-ray and DVD units to reach at least 43,784 physical copies sold.
The film received positive reviews from critics who praised animation quality and vocal performances. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 92% approval rating based on 100 reviews with an average score of 7.5 out of 10. Metacritic assigned it a score of 72 out of 100 indicating generally favorable reviews from 22 critics. It earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature alongside Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura. The Japan Academy Prize honored it as Animation Of The Year in 2015. Additional recognition came from the Chicago International Childrens Film Festival and Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The Saturn Awards also nominated it for Best Animated Film during that same year.
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Common questions
Who directed the 2014 Japanese animated film When Marnie Was There?
Hiromasa Yonebayashi directed the 2014 Japanese animated film When Marnie Was There. He received the project assignment from Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki and initially turned down the role because he thought visualizing the story would be very difficult.
When did When Marnie Was There release in North America through GKIDS?
North American distribution for When Marnie Was There began on the 22nd of May 2015 through GKIDS. The film earned a total gross of $561,085 in United States and Canada during this period.
What is the setting location for the main character Anna Sasaki in When Marnie Was There?
Anna Sasaki stands alone in the Kushiro wetlands of Hokkaido when her asthma attack at school sends her to this rural seaside town between Kushiro and Nemuro. Yohei Taneda designed the Marsh House that serves as the central location in the film after scouting actual buildings in Hokkaido for architectural inspiration.
Who wrote and performed the theme song Fine On The Outside for When Marnie Was There?
Priscilla Ahn wrote and performed the theme song Fine On The Outside for the movie. She released an accompanying album titled Just Know That I Love You on the same date as the soundtrack music collection appeared on the iTunes Store on the 16th of July 2014 across 113 countries worldwide.
How much money did When Marnie Was There earn in Japan by the end of 2014?
Total box office for When Marnie Was There reached approximately 7 billion yen by the end of 2014 in Japan alone. Home media sales in Japan combined Blu-ray and DVD units to reach at least 43,784 physical copies sold.