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Summary

  • When Marnie Was There subtext hinted at LGBTQ themes, but the ending clarified the nature of the relationship between Marnie and Anna.
  • The story focuses on friendship and platonic love, with the connection between Marnie and Anna revealing the impossibility of a romantic connection.
  • Despite the intimate moments and physical contact, the film's message centers on love, but not the romantic type.

Of the 21 Studio Ghibli films released from 1986 to 2014, not one featured an openly LGBT+ character. Of course, that isn't a critique on the quality of these films, considering they rarely focused on any kind of romantic relationships at all. For the most part, the themes of friendship and platonic love have been at the forefront of Studio Ghibli's anime films. However, 2014's When Marnie Was There looked as if it could be the rare exception.

The psychological drama contained homoerotic themes throughout that appeared to be setting up a possible love story between two girls. The budding relationship between Anna and Marnie is a bridge leading Anna to a discovery of self that could easily be interpreted as the awakening of her sexuality, until viewers discover that Marnie is actually the ghost of Anna's biological grandmother. While that may not be supportive of an interpretation regarding the sexual undertones many glimpsed in their friendship, there are some who still feel very strongly that, at the very least, Anna may have been a gay character.

Updated on March 15, 2024 by Jenny Melzer: When Marnie Was There is still one of Studio Ghibli's most emotional films, displaying a beautiful relationship between two young girls who both desperately need to feel a loving connection. While the subtext led many to believe it was an LGBTQ love story, they were only half-right. When Marnie Was There is a love story, but not on a romantic level. This article has been updated to deepen the analysis, as well as to adhere to CBR's most current standards for formatting.

The LGBT Undertones of When Marnie Was There Are Undeniable

Plenty of Moments Between Marnie and Anna Are Easily Romanticized Without Context

The story follows Anna as she discovers a seemingly abandoned mansion, wherein she meets a young girl named Marnie. The mysterious figure who emerges and disappears without explanation from the house seems to be living among family who barely notice her existence. Witnessing this makes the orphaned Anna feel an instant connection with the girl, and as they spend more time together, the pair develop a strong bond across the course of the film. Marnie's love and acceptance helps Anna come to terms with who she is. But the nature of Anna and Marnie's relationship isn't clear until the end of the film, which might lead viewers to wonder, "Is Anna realizing she's gay?"

Marnie and Anna are very physically intimate throughout the film, often holding hands and comforting each other. Even the film's poster depicts them with hands held back-to-back, a position that, were they members of the opposite gender, would immediately indicate to audiences that they were in love. They dance together in the garden, an awkward cadence filled with giggling laughter as Anna finds her footing and takes the lead, and when they reunite the hugs between them are almost desperate, as though both feared they might never see each other again.

They often act together the way two young people in love behave. There are plenty of "our little secrets" and coy blushes from Anna whenever Marnie draws close, which suggests that she could like Marnie as more than a friend. Another significant note to consider is that Marnie and Anna have more physical contact than most of Studio Ghibli's official romantic pairings. Whether it's Sophie and Howl, Ashitaka and San, or Chihiro and Haku, Anna and Marnie share a depth to their intimacy that isn't seen elsewhere. Even if no romance ever came from their budding relationship, there are enough implications to foster subtext.

The Reason When Marnie Was There Isn't an LGBT Film Isn't Made Obvious At First

Marnie's Real Connection to Anna is Biological, Explaining the Depth of Her Love & Their Connection

The movie's romantic subtext is ultimately quashed when it's eventually revealed that Marnie is actually the ghost of Anna's grandmother. Marnie briefly took care of Anna following the death of Anna's parents before then passing away herself and orphaning Anna. The spirit following Anna symbolizes her grandmother's undying love for her. It also contextualizes her longing to understand where she came from and who her family was. While this is a moving and fitting end to the story, it pulls the plug on any potential queer reading of the story.

It also seems When Marnie Was There never had a shot at being an LGBTQIA+ story because Joan G. Robinson's source material was written in 1967, a time when the canonical portrayal of same-sex relationships was scarce. Although adaptations of '50s and '60s books, such as John Knowles' A Separate Peace, have played up potential queer coding, once the ending of When Marnie Was There becomes apparent, it completely alters the type of film it is.

When Marnie Was There's Ending, Explained

When reviewing their relationship, it's also important to consider the generational gap between the pair. Marnie came from a different era, a time when it was common to treasure close friendships and celebrate them with physical displays of affection, like holding hands, kissing one another on the cheek, hugging and cuddling close. Because Marnie felt so discarded and ignored by her family, she was very lonely and desperately needed to love and be loved. Similarly, Anna felt abandoned and unworthy of love, especially after realizing her foster parents were earning money from fostering her.

As a foster child, affection was something Anna was sorely missing from her life because of all the loss she experienced throughout her short childhood. She closed herself off from her foster parents because she feared allowing herself to get too close. Everyone in her past that she loved left her, and she couldn't stomach the thought of loving someone else only to lose them the way she did her parents and grandmother. It was easy for her to believe that her foster parents were only fostering her for the money because she had so little trust that they planned to stick around for her, which says a lot about Anna as a character. After discovering that they want to adopt her and be her forever family, it's emotionally overwhelming for Anna to even imagine that she will finally have a family connection.

When Marnie Was There Rating Scores

  • IMDb: 7.2/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
  • MyAnimeList: 8/10

It becomes clear as the film nears its end that Marnie wanted Anna to know how it felt to be treasured and loved unconditionally. This would heal Marnie's spirt, too, as together they could heal from the abandonment issues that haunted their lives. The flashback scenes from before Marnie's death show how loving she was with her granddaughter. She watched her sleep with great affection, tucked her hair behind her ear, and added the barrette to her hair as a token of her love. All her life, Marnie sought love, and with Anna she had it unconditionally. With those moments in context, it's easy to understand where the film was leading from the start, but before that big reveal, the nature of their loving relationship can be very misleading.

What at first seemed to be a story about Anna discovering her sexuality was instead centered around her reconciliation with the past and learning to let herself love platonically again. As a result, it's purely coincidental that the story's structure resembles a romantic coming-of-age story, but for many fans the ending was disconcerting when they reflected back on the intimacy between them. While it may not have turned out to be an LGBTQ+ story, there is always a possibility that Anna is discovering that she is gay during the events in the story. In the end, however, the focus shifted away from any kind of romantic overtones and centered firmly on love in general.

When Marnie Was there Studio Ghible film poster
When Marnie Was There
PG
Drama
Family
Psychological

Anna, a shy 12-year-old girl, is sent to spend time with her aunt and uncle who live in the countryside, where she meets Marnie. The two become best friends. But Anna gradually discovers that Marnie is not quite who she appears to be.

Director
Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Release Date
August 7, 2015
Cast
Nanako Matsushima , Yûko Kaida , Toshie Negishi , Susumu Terajima , Kasumi Arimura , Sara Takatsuki , Hailee Steinfeld , Kiernan Shipka , Grey Griffin
Writers
Keiko Niwa , Masashi Andō
Runtime
103 minutes
Main Genre
Anime
Where to watch
Max
Studio(s)
Studio Ghibli
Distributor(s)
Toho