The Secret of NIMH

"[after lighting a candle] Jonathan Brisby was killed today while helping with the Plan. It is four years since our departure from NIMH, and our world is changing. We cannot stay here much longer. [Writing in a book] Jonathan was a dear friend. I am lost in knowing how to help his widow. She knows nothing of us or the Plan. [Reloading ink for pen] Perhaps best that I do nothing at present. [As he quickly writes signature] I shall miss him. [Holding and looking at amulet] Jonathan, wherever you are, your thoughts must comfort her tonight. She'll be waiting, and you will not return. [as he puts away amulet in a case, closing it] Farewell, my friend."

"Jonathan... your wife, I fear, is in desperate trouble. A visit to the Great Owl may indeed be profitable. Go to the Owl then, Mrs. Brisby. Go there!"

"Jenner, I fear, could do her harm. He is consumed by a lust for power. Thus far, the amulet has remained safely hidden. But if he finds it... heaven help us."

"[when he gives Mrs. Brisby the amulet, and again later when she discovers its power] Courage of the heart is very rare. The stone has a power when it's there."

"[when Nicodemus shows Mrs. Brisby a device in the corner. Two circles of metal set at right angles to form a rough globe, set in an ornate frame. The circles begin to spin, faster and faster. Energy plays across the surface of the globe described by its motion. A glowing green sphere appears, and images play across it. Nicodemus narrates the images] In the beginning, we were ordinary street rats, stealing our daily bread and living off the efforts of man's work. We were captured, put in cages, and sent to a place called NIMH. There were many animals there...in cages. They were put through the most unspeakable tortures to satisfy some scientific curiosity. Often at night I would hear them, crying out in anguish. Twenty rats and eleven mice were given injections...our world began changing. Then one night I looked upon the words under the cage door...and understood them. We had become intelligent. We could read. The miracle was kept secret from the scientists, and in the quiet of the night, we escaped through the ventilation system. The mice were blown away, sucked down dark air-shafts to their deaths. All except two...Jonathan and Mr. Ages. We were trapped by a locked door on the roof. It was Jonathan who made possible the unlocking of the door."

"Uh, yeah, I guess that's enough exercise for one day. Besides, I'm really after this terrific string! I'm working on a love nest for two. You know what I mean? [Mrs. Brisby: Oh, I see. You have a girl.] Well, not really, I mean, I haven't found Miss Right yet. But when I do, the whole world will hear us singing!"

"[repeated line] Excuse me. Pardon me."

"If I had actually been near a cat, I'd be sneezing my brains out. [Dragon, the Fitzgibbons' cat, comes closer] See, I'm allergic to—kaa... I'm allergic to—kay... I'm allergic to uh... hmm... hmm... hmm... Ah-choo!"

"Oh, here, you dropped this back there. Nobody messes with ol' Jeremy, boy. Nobody!"

"Right. When you're right, you're right. And you're right."

"I'm not that bad. I just need a few pointers to polish my style."

"When we get to the Great Owl, he'll know just what to do about everything!"

"Well, the place looks deserted. I guess we better get outta here."

"[mesmerized by the amulet] A sparkly!"

"Cast not pearls before swine, I always say, and that includes impudent piglets. Good day!"

"[responding to Mrs. Brisby] I came here to inform you that the frost is off the ground, and moving day is at hand. Prepare to move your very, very odd family. Good day!"

"[as the tractor comes] Run! The plow is here! Run for your lives! Run! It's moving day! Run! The plow is here! Run! Run! Get out!"

"It's Jenner. He's at it again. [Mr. Ages: There blows an ill wind.] He's before the Council now. This time, he's attacking Nicodemus openly."

"The mill. It's falling apart. Hope it stays up there, at least until we're done with the Plan."

"Friends, tonight we journey to Thorn Valley. We will leave no tracks... no evidence that the rats of NIMH ever existed. Come..."

"Damn! I'll have to come back for you later."

"One of our films that we wanted a PG rating was (for) The Secret of NIMH. Funny, even with all the support of the press and the critics, they all commented that there are dark sections of the film that could be frightening to small children. Not really sure you will get the attention of the ratings board or its members, I think they just feel that animation is for children so it's just an automatic gesture, rate it G! I often wonder if the ratings board actually looks at the animated films."

"Jerry Goldsmith took The Secret of NIMH and showed it to Steven Spielberg. He took a look and said, "Wow, I thought this kind of animation was dead. I've been told forever that you can't do this anymore; it's too expensive". It wasn't the truth. You could do it, and we'd learned that we could do it. It was just the studio mentality that they simply didn't want to spend the money. Steven got very excited and he said, "Would you like to make a picture together?" We, of course, jumped at the opportunity."

"It was the film that was made in our innocence. That's where we dug down deep. And we didn't know any better, so we rushed in. We did the best you could. On Secret of NIMH, we had two layout people, three background people, and ten animators. That's how we made the movie. All the painting on the cels was farmed out to women all over the city of Los Angeles. They took it into their kitchens and painted it. When I think about how fat the studios have become, I laugh. You have 24 people in the layout department; we're fat with personnel. All the rules and attitudes change in that kind of environment."

"In fact, we believe that our film, The Secret of N.I.M.H. provided everyone on the film a credit, including the receptionists, and assistants that drove our trucks to run errands. Disney's next film included many more of the animation staff than in their previous films."

"Elizabeth Hartman - Mrs. Brisby"

"John Carradine - Great Owl"

"Dom DeLuise - Jeremy"

"Derek Jacobi - Nicodemus"

"Arthur Malet - Mr. Ages"

"Hermione Baddeley - Auntie Shrew"

"Peter Strauss - Justin"

"Paul Shenar - Jenner"

"Aldo Ray - Sullivan"

"Shannen Doherty - Teresa Brisby"

"Jodi Hicks - Cynthia Brisby"

"Wil Wheaton - Martin Brisby"

"Ian Fried - Timothy "Timmy" Brisby"