Il giardino segreto

This version of TSG is probably the best ever made. The film is so lovingly directed by Holland, I've been told that this story was one of her favorites growing up.

Heading a wonderful all-star cast is Kate Maberly as Mary Lennox. Maberly carried her character beautifully, she didn't appear to be acting as much as actually getting into character. Her attitude and personality changed as things got better in life. Maggie Smith, one of my personal favorite actressess, is wonderful as Mrs. Medlock. Others like John Lynch and Andrew Knott add more magic to the production.

Hayden Prowse was wonderful as Colin Craven. Surprisingly enough, this is the only movie he's ever been in. I certainly wish he acted more often for he has good talent.

8 out of 10

I simply adore this movie. I can watch it over and over and never grow tired. It's simply stunning. Mary Lennox is an orphan who must stay with her cold and emotionally unattached uncle in his expansive manor. Here, she keeps to herself and finds an old garden and brings it back to life with the help of the staff and a young boy named Dicken. She comes to meet her cousin, the lil brat Colin, and teaches him to walk again despite being told he's unable to. The garden is apparently magical, but in a realistic way. There's no fairy dust or other such nonsense. It's just allowing people to believe in themselves and be happy. The music is touching as are the relationships of the characters. Colin wanting to marry her despite their 1st cousin status was a little too much for me, but didn't cause a break in the movie. I wished they had shown what she looked like as a grown up instead of avoiding her face, but I guess that's to keep her forever young in our minds. The mean maid (whose name i forget she was in Sister Act) provided a challenge to Mary, but nothing she couldn't handle and eventually won her over. Mary was a royal brat at first, but only cuz she didn't know how else to be since her parents were self-involved. I was glad to see her come out of it. Dicken was such a cool kid, I loved him a lot. He was smart without having to go to school for it and was just loveable and helpful. In other versions, he and Mary were supposed to get together, but he died in some war and she took up with Colin. I really liked him though. Colin was a sicly kid who they constantly fussed over and he was snotty to show for it. He calmed down a little too, but could still be a royal pain. He was temperamental and that was annoying, but that was his character. The father, Lord Craven, was only emotionally unattached because his wife died in childbirth and he thought his son wasn't able to be healthy and he would just run away. How English of him, lol. The garden was absolutely beautiful and gorgeous. Made you wanna be a kid again and just frolick around in it. All the animals and plants were inviting. It seemed simplistic and a good place to be. Even though Mary was young, she could still make a difference to herself and others and that's what makes the movie special and timeless.

Ah, the many memories I have with The Secret Garden, I have to admit it, when I was a kid, I had this group of girlfriends and we always thought it would be so cool if we discovered a garden just like the children in this movie did. As silly as that sounds, the movie really got our imaginations going. Of course you grow up and you forget a little bit about the movies that you used to watch as a kid. But I was looking at the five dollar bin at Wal Mart and found The Secret Garden, I figured since I hadn't seen it in a while that I could check it out once again and still I think I have a special love for this magical story about bringing life back into a dead world.

The recently-orphaned Mary Lennox travels from her home in India to her uncle Archibald Craven's hundred-room house, Misselthwaite Manor. Mary, materially spoiled but emotionally neglected by her late parents, is rather unpleasant and unhappy in her new surroundings. Martha, a Yorkshire girl working as a maid, and her brother Dicken, a boy who can talk to animals, befriend and help her to heal and grow. She discovers her deceased aunt's secret garden, which has been locked for ten years and enlists Dickon to help her bring it to life. Hidden away in the gloomy house is Mary's cousin Colin, who has been treated all his life like a fragile, sickly invalid. This exaggeration has augmented what smaller problems he did have, turning him into a demanding, short-tempered, helpless boy. Mary, defying the orders of Mrs Medlock, discovers Colin and is taken aback by his disposition, but reaches out to him anyway. Soon Colin, Mary, and Dickon all spend their time in the secret garden. They perform magic, and make the garden live again.

The Secret Garden is always going to hold a special place in my heart, I absolutely adore this film and it brings back so many wonderful memories from my childhood. The children that they found to play Mary, Dicken and Colin were absolutely perfect and were great actors actually, I'm surprised they didn't move onto bigger things in their careers, but they had great chemistry and really brought the movie to life. The settings are gorgeous, the garden that the children created was so lovely and reminds me about all the wonderful things that spring brings, life. If you haven't seen The Secret Garden, I highly recommend that you do, it's a very special film that I'm sure you'll fall in love with as well.

8/10

Right from the beginning, you sympathize with this neglected yet spoiled little girl. Normally I adore Maggie Smith, but here the director is so astute, Maggie becomes Medlock and makes your blood boil with her officiousness and her thin-lipped inability to see or feel for the children. Luckily they all fend for themselves and create a world both unbelievable and wholly needed in our dry and hurried lives. It is for films like these that I go to the theater. It is because of stories like these that my sleep is peopled with gorgeous landscapes and interesting remarks.

While I have called The Secret Garden a family film, that doesn't mean it's just for children. It is a film for all ages, and sure to be enjoyed by all of them, too. A vivid and affecting film, it's got many things going for it: mesmerizing cinemetography and time-lapse photography, a good music score and script, breathtaking sets, wonderful direction, great acting, even gorgeous flowers! Agneiska Holland does a great job at bringing out all the subtle little points and details in the story and great performances from her young cast, particularly from Kate Maberly as Mary. Heydon Prowse is good, too, as Colin, and so is Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock, the frusterated, overprotective housekeeper who seems to be mean, but really is only doing what she thinks best. One of the few films I've seen that I can call perfect with conviction; definitely should be seen and appreciated.