When Marnie Was There – Review

Transfiguring Adoption’s Overview:

When Marnie Was There is rated PG, but the length and pace of the film may be best for an audience of ages eleven and up. It also appears this movie would be great for foster and adoptive families, though anyone could enjoy the beautiful storytelling, gorgeous artwork, and fantastic soundtrack. This movie might be relatable to foster and adoptive families due to the themes of identity as a foster/adoptive youth and a youth learning that “family” and “community” are more than biological bonds.

This movie can be a wonderful conversation starter for middle or high school-aged foster or adopted youth. The film does an excellent job of showing a youth wrestling with her identity as a foster child, within the foster family, and within the surrounding community. These years for children and teens in general are filled with identity building in general, but having the added cultural element which foster care youth from the child welfare system often experience adds levels of stress unique to this culture.


** Spoilers Could Be Ahead **


How Is This Relevant To Adoption & Foster Care?

Anna, the main character, is a twelve-year old girl in Japan. She lives with her long-time foster family which includes a foster mother (who is shown in the film) and a foster father (who frequently travels for work). Anna is introduced in the beginning as a loner, describing herself as “outside of the circle.” This is evident in how she stays physically distant from everyone from her fellow classmates to her foster mother. Anna is shown to have psychosomatic responses (meaning, physical symptoms in response to stress) in response to her shifting moods and loneliness. Throughout the film Anna is slowly able to connect her feelings to her behaviors and build a support network from the children and adults she meets while she spends her summer in the countryside.

This film can be a fantastic resource to teach the relationship between the mind and the body and the impact of stress. Children and youth exposed to trauma often do not think through the stress response and simply just react. By slowing down and practicing awareness with body, mind, and soul, Anna is able to move forward and develop positive communication and relationships with others. It is crucial for children and youth in foster care to develop external supports and develop interpersonal skills as seen in the film. Anna’s perspective as she sorts through these hard thoughts and feelings can be beneficial for caregivers who wish to see and understand foster youth’s perspectives of such challenges.


Discussion Points:

  • Communicating Anxiety
    Children very seldom say, “I am anxious.” Children will often say, “My tummy hurts.” This is because the mind and body are very closely connected. When watching the movie, pay attention to how Anna responds physically after stressful or emotional interactions.
  • Foster Child Identity
    While foster parents understand that the stipend provided by the state or federal agencies are strictly reimbursements, children and youth may not be aware that these stipends exist and that they are not income. Foster care as a culture has several points that are very different from the culture of an established or biological child in the home, including agency/government involvement. Foster parents should be mindful about the best way to address aspects like this in foster care and how a foster child or youth could “fill in the blanks” if they have not been explained in age appropriate terms what some of these differences mean.
  • Community Supports
    Anna learns through the course of the movie that while she may not have direct connections to living blood relatives, she very much can build supports outside of her foster family. Anna spends the summer with her foster mother’s relatives and overtime builds relationships with other children in the area. Anna starts the film stating that she is “outside” the circle, but by the end of the film has gravitated to the center of a circle of support, better equipped for life with her newfound sense of identity and security. Foster children and youth very much benefit from supports outside of foster care as these bonds can last even after exiting foster care.

Cautionary Points:

  • Foster Care Specific Triggers
    Anna discovers her foster parents receive a board payment for caring for her. This adds to her sense of feeling alone and different. Anna processes emotions concerning this throughout the film. This could potentially trigger concerns about this in children or youth if left unaddressed.
  • Supervision Concerns
    Throughout the film, Anna is permitted to wander about the new town with little to no supervision at age twelve. It is not advised that foster children or youth be permitted to traverse across towns unsupervised, especially if there are safety concerns already in place due to runaway/elopement.
  • Biological Family Trauma
    Anna eventually connects to her biological family through fantasy-based mediums. Children often wonder about and long for their families (whether known or not) when in foster care, and this could be stressful for children who have been separated from the family from the home of origin.
  • Displays of Physical/Emotional Abuse
    Marnie discloses to Anna that when her parents go out of town (frequently) she is often beaten and threatened by the household staff. A major plot point concerns Marnie being threatened by the staff members to be locked into a dark silo. Children or youth in foster care may have experienced instances of physical or emotional abuse, and caregivers should be mindful that children or youth may take years to discuss instances of abuse.
  • Displays Adult Characters Smoking
    A few characters in the film smoke.
  • Traumatic Events
    When Marnie’s past is revealed, there are depictions and references to physical/emotional abuse, psychiatric commitment, familial conflict, and a fatal car crash. These themes may be triggering to children or youth who have dealt with these issues.

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Transfiguring Adoption is a nonprofit organization seeking to nurture growth in foster and adoptive families by giving a HOOT about their families. Transfiguring Adoption does not intend for its reviewers nor its review to be professional, medical or legal advice. These reviews and discussion guides are intended to help parents to better be able to connect and understand their children who come from traumatic backgrounds.


Written by
Rachael B. Rathe is an East Tennessee native with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology with a Minor in Child & Family Studies from The University of Tennessee Knoxville. She has worked in mental health since 2013 and in foster care/adoptions for a private provider agency since 2014. Rachael was inspired to work in the field after working with children and teens on a volunteer basis 2008 - 2013. Rachael's ideal self-care day involves snuggling on a couch with her kitties (Tabitha, Fergus, and Rufus) while enjoying a good movie or book. She also enjoys galivanting around conventions concerning all things nerd and geekery.

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