Review of The Secret Garden (1994) by Elizabeth M — 21 Oct 2009

Oh Secret Garden, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... Your acting, your visuals, your music, your atmosphere, your locations, your heart, your meaning, your beauty, your imagination... The list goes on.

There is not one thing about this movie that I only liked and not loved. It is as dear to me now that I am grown up as it was when I was little. It's a truly beautiful film with superb acting from the younger cast (particuarly Kate Mabberly and Hayden Prowse) and as a child it introduced me to the wonderful Maggie Smith. It captures the message and spirit of Frances Hodgsen Burnett's original book perfectly, even if it does change the way Mary's parents died (probably to be more dramatic) and the joy and sadness are both infectious. The scene where Mary talks to her uncle at the end moves me to tears almost every time.