The Clock family (tiny human-like "Borrowers") live under the floorboards at the Driver–Hellman house, suspected but so far uncaught by Mrs Driver (Victoria Wood), grandmother of young James Hellman (Charlie Hiscock). Daughter Arrietty Clock (Aisling Loftus) is seen by James and they become friends, but his grandmother's suspicions are heightened. Lifting a floorboard, she finds missing items, including furniture from James' dead mother's dollhouse. Searching online for information on "little people", Mrs Driver befriends a London university Professor Mildeye (Stephen Fry) online. Unlike his skeptical colleagues, she asks more about his specialty, ''Homo sapiens redactus''. He visits to learn more of Mrs Driver's sightings, but James tries to take the blame for all the 'borrowings.'