Le jardin secret

Like 'A Little Princess', also written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 'The Secret Garden' is a lovely, engrossing read with memorable characters, some of whom that you don't exactly like at first but as they grow and change one likes them much more, and a vivid setting.

There will always be debate as to which version is the best version of 'The Secret Garden'. The most faithful is perhaps the 1975 adaptation, and the 1949 film with Margaret O'Brien is also very much worthwhile. My personal favourite is the 1993 film, one of my favourites as a child and is still an enchanting film now (and no this is not nostalgia talking, there has been a fair share of childhood favourites that hold up poorly now), to me it had more polish and heart.

In no way is that to knock this 1987 adaptation. It stands pretty well on its own enough, and there are some faithful moments and most of the characters are true to personality and how they evolve, but there are also some very odd deviations that do distract pretty badly (anybody looking for a completely faithful adaptation without strange deviations and additions should look elsewhere).

Two in particular stand out as either unnecessary or weird. The book-end scenes with the children as adults is the strongest example of the former, those scenes added absolutely nothing and felt very clunky and mawkish in writing. The same with the very ham-fisted message introduced here. The way Dickon's character is written is especially strange, in a way that really doesn't fit the character and jars with the setting.

Most of the acting is good, apart from the un-authentic accents. Faring weakest is perhaps Jadrien Steele, whose Colin is stiff in places and while the character is meant to be insufferable at first other adaptations did a better job in showing his change. Barret Oliver does quite well as Dickon but is disadvantaged by the way the character is written.

Visually, however, this 'Secret Garden' looks good, beautifully and atmospherically photographed that even an at times less than perfect transfer can't ruin, costumed with a lot of love and care and with scenery that's both charming and atmospheric. The music, with some haunting use of Chopin, fits remarkably well and doesn't feel tonally at odds at all.

Dialogue has a mostly natural flow and has the right amount of enchantment and mystery. The story has a lot of charm, and there is enough to leave one in awe and make one cry. The direction is above competent and the sound is crisp and clear, complementing the music and dialogue well.

Apart from reservations about Steele and to a lesser extent Oliver, the acting is fine. Gennie James gives a Mary that grows in character from spoilt and sullen to a happier and more caring character, displaying all those traits without being too sentimental or too irritating. Michael Hordern's Ben Weatherstaff is spot on, how lovely to see a character treated like a minor character in a couple of the other adaptations be a scene-stealer.

Billie Whitelaw is suitably beastly as Mrs Medlock, while giving her some humanity later on. Viewers seem more mixed on Derek Jacobi, to me his Lord Craven was suitably melancholic and mysterious. Martha was quite appealing too.

In summary, stands pretty well on its own but purists better look elsewhere. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Director Alan Grint (who did a bang up job directing some of the episodes of the British Sherlock Holmes series starring Jeremy Brett) has successfully translated an F H Burnett book to the small screen. This Hallmark Hall of Fame version introduces us to a grown Mary Lennox who in flashback, relives her childhood experience in coming to the rural manor of her guardian.

The real story has no reference to grown Mary or her romantic connection to Colin Craven. This is probably due to the fact that in the novel, Burnett makes it clear that Mary and Colin are actually cousins. This film version has erased that from the story, which would not be required if the unnecessary adult portions of the story had been left out.

Young Gennie James is excellent as (at first) ill tempered and selfish Mary Lennox. She resents her new situation (orphan living in someone else's house) and strains the patience of her caretaker (Whitlaw). When she discovers there is a secret garden, she is determined to find it, and when, upon finally meeting her guardian Mr. Craven, she steers him into granting her permission to make a garden anywhere she chooses. Of course she chooses the walled in garden.

When she finally tames Colin enough to tell him of the garden and her new friend Dickon, and his mysterious way with animals, the willful Colin is determined to see these wonders for himself and demands that the servants take him outside in his wheel chair and allow Mary to escort him with Dickon to push him. The servants balk, but give in to their young master's whim. This, of course, proves to be the beginning of the sickly Colin's road to recovery.

Young Oliver as Dickon is quite good, though he has little to say. Steele does a fine job of playing the demanding, insufferable crippled boy. Horndern is just right as the crusty but faithful Gardener and Whitlaw is good as always. All in all, a charming and satisfying, if slightly altered, version of the excessivley wordy classic novel.

Incidentally, for you fans of Harry Potter, NO, director Alan Grint is not the father of Rupert Grint.

This 1987 version of the Secret Garden is a mixed bag: on the one hand the locations are beautiful, on the other the production values and acting ranges from great to just plain awful! The best performances are given by Derek Jacobi and Gennie James. Gennie comes off as a 1980s version of Margaret O`Brien taking to the role of Mary Lennox with O'Brien-like skill.

In conclusion: Good but could have been so much better

The story begins with young Mary losing her mother and father suddenly in India. I don't know what they died from but they were rich and Mary is their only child and gets sent to live with another rich man in England. Mary is spoiled, bossy and wants her way all the time. In half of the movie she says things that make you dislike her. She does not like people and no one likes her.

As the movie goes on she explains she does not like herself because she believed her mother only like pretty things and she was not pretty Mary is about 10-12 years old and very curious. The house she is moved to is like a castle. The man that owns it has a lump on his back and trouble walking. The man also has a son Colin about 14 who is like an invalid. He thinks he has a lump on his back and won't talk with anyone except the house help. His father does not visit him either.

In the movie the important characters are Mary, Dickon and Colin. Dickon a boy about 14 is from a big family who work and go to church. Dickon provides Mary with friendship and courage she never knew. They find the secret garden and the story behind why it was closed by the owner.

This movie is touching. It brings out the different weaknesses people have and believe they will never overcome. It brings friends to trust each other. It brings out lies about themselves that they believed for years which kept them from being humanly happy. Now with the help of Dickon who has insight and is very kind they grow as a group and bring love to people who have not experienced it like themselves and unite the father and his son Colin in a wonderful beautiful ending.

The scenery is beautiful the birds in the trees and the animals that communicate with Dickon is so nice and the music in the course of the movie is loving.

See the movie if you can. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=870KgkHdJLE

It is on Youtube and you can also download it if Firefox is your browser you can get addons to download.

I was disappointed with the Hollander version because it failed in comparison to this. I didnt grow up with child lit except what leaked through tv. Seeing this at age 35 was a bit of a revelation. Reminded me of Shirley Temple afternoon movies of my pre adolesence. The young actors are adequate but the adult cast is outstanding. Hallmark used to produce real quality, primetime, major network specials. This is from that era and not the formulaic factory it became.