When Marnie Was There

All great children's literature has the same elements as its adult counterpart: a story that works well on its own and artistic undertones that engage the mind on another level.

"When Marnie was There," a new animated film from Studio Ghibli, the producers of the Academy Award winning "Spirited Away," is a ghost story in the best sense of the term. It uses the inexplicable supernatural world to delve into the rich world of the psyche.

Based on the novel by Joan G. Robinson, this movie is a coming of age story about a self-alienated, shy and artistic girl who tries to discover her place in the world as she begins to leave her pre-pubescence behind her.

Anna is quite a handful for her foster parents and relatives, though she's never ill-tempered. Rather, her inner world seems to get her into trouble. Lately she has been swept away by a mysterious, imaginary and perhaps supernatural friend, Marnie.

Anna goes on a quest to discover the magical world in which Marnie exists until her own "reality" comes tumbling in on her.

Evocative of the colorful and formal facades that covered Douglas Sirk's inner worlds, "When Marnie was There" hides complicated spiritual, subconscious and perhaps sexual intricacies under a skin of paper doll-like manga animation.

The Blu-ray contains hours of bonus material including the entire movie mocked-up in storyboards, a making of featurette and a feature on Production Designer Yohei Taneda creating the look, feel and art of the movie, as well as a look behind the scenes with the voice talent, trailers and TV spots.

"When Marnie Was There"
Blu-ray Combo Pack
uni.pictures/WMWT