Trivia / The Borrowers (1997)

• Fake American: As the Lenders are made Americans, Doon Mackichan and Aden Gillett (both British) put on American accents to play Victoria and Joe.
• Real Life Writes the Hairstyle: Potter was supposed to lose his eyebrows as well as his mustache. John Goodman however was worried about them not growing back in time for Roseanne.
• Recursive Adaptation: A movie based on a book series itself received a novelization.
• Star-Making Role: While he was already known in the UK for Only Fools and Horses, this launched Jim Broadbent onto bigger films like Moulin Rouge!, Bridget Jones and Iris.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Peter Sellers bought the rights in The '60s and Jay Presson Allen wrote a script for an adaptation. Peter Sellers would have starred but the project never went ahead.
  • Steven Spielberg was offered the chance to direct, but turned it down because he was too busy working on The Lost World: Jurassic Park.
  • Tim Allen, Chevy Chase, Martin Clunes, Danny DeVito, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Ed O'Neill, Joe Pesci, Alan Rickman and Robin Williams were all considered for the role of Ocious P. Potter.
  • Jeff Daniels, Ron Perlman and Kurt Russell were considered for Exterminator Jeff.
  • Arrietty and Peagreen fleeing from the hammer blows was planned as (and filmed as) The Oner. For pacing reasons, the shot ended up being broken up with intercuts of Potter and Jeff hammering at the wall.

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