The Secret Garden (1993)

Every so often there can be a story that, though told from the point of view of a child, is meant to be seen and heard by far more than simply those matching the age of the protagonist. A film like The Secret Garden is rare, but not simply because using child actors can be a bit of a gamble. A film like this is rare because it seems to be a film meant for children, yet it is significantly more than that. Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden follows a young Mary Lennox living with her wealthy parents in India. They die in an earthquake and she is sent to live in England with her also wealthy Uncle. Like her life in India, she is mostly ignored and told to entertain herself. It is through this that she stumbles upon a hidden garden and various other mysteries about her new home, including a sickly and even more spoiled cousin.

The first thing to notice about this film is the tone. Coupled with the beautiful and haunting music (by Zbigniew Preisner), the film establishes a sense of darkness and mystery in the mansion, while the garden itself is filmed like a portal into a paradise that belongs in a fantasy. With its strong use of color and sweeping landscape shots, the world outside the mansion become one of wonder, beauty and freedom. Yet all this is downplayed in order to keep it within the realm of realism. It never feels like too much or like the scene is meant to manipulate your emotions. Everything comes very naturally and feels quite genuine. As mentioned before, child actors are risky. Luckily they are all very good in this film, particularly Kate Maberly as Mary. She plays her character as an angry and spoiled child, but it is easy to see where her issues come from. Right from the beginning of the film it becomes clear that she is a neglected child who has little interaction with her own parents, let alone other children. She quickly befriends Dickon (Andrew Knott), the younger brother of one of the maids who also spends most of his time isolated, with the exception of the local wildlife. Together they form a friendship that hints at something more while they care and raise the garden back to life. The experience changes her, and everyone around her, and it becomes apparent through her performance. The other young actor is Hayden Prowse who plays Colin, Mary’s invalid cousin who is literally not allowed outside his room or the house. He’s also spoiled rotten, but not to the point where it becomes annoying or over-the-top. The characters are all well written and incredibly well acted, showing the changes that occur as the story unfolds. There are also some strong supporting performances from Maggie Smith, who plays the head maid Mrs. Medlock and John Lynch who plays the grief-stricken uncle and lord of the Mansion.

The film was directed by Agnieszka Holland, and it is obvious the care and dedication that she had in filming the story. The shots of the endless fields outside the mansion and the closed-in and claustrophobic halls of the mansion are in terrific contrast, while the garden itself is a visual spectacle and a vivid display of color and atmosphere. It is an emotional film about love, heartache, lonliness and a child-like sense of wonder. The Secret Garden is nothing short of a masterpiece that transcends the genre of children’s film.