The Secret Garden (1993)

Thanks for the memories!

People are voting emotionally.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Blistering performances.

Some "children's films" are only for children. Some can be watched by the whole family. Others are so good they seem hardly intended for children at all, and "The Secret Garden" falls in that category. It is a work of beauty, poetry and deep mystery, and watching it is like entering for a time into a closed world where one's destiny may be discovered.The movie's dark themes, unhurried pace and talkiness make it something of a gamble for many children. But older children -- especially those who have been asking specific questions about death -- may find some nourishment in this garden. The film retains the gothic atmosphere of the book and looks amazing, thanks to Roger Deakins's scintillating photography. Any kids' movie that aims for something richer than the Saturday-matinee escapism of smiling whales and preschool ninjas -- that actually captures some of the mystery of childhood -- ought to be embraced. whatever its peculiarities.By the end of the film I was surprised by how much I was moved; how much I had come to care about the lonely little boy, the orphaned girl, and the garden that a dead woman had prepared for them.The result is an instant classic -- rich, dense, resonant, powerful.

I remember watching this movie back when I was around 8 and I instantly fell in love with it ever since.I read the original book after I've seen the movie, though I have to admit, there weren't much similarities.But the movie is definitely a masterpiece, I felt like I was living in that time period! Though not so many movies can make that happen. What made this movie more astonishing is:Great cinematography. Enchanting music. The accuracy of the place & time. The overall atmosphere of the movie made me feel like I was in a beautiful dream. When I re-watched the movie today, I remembered exactly why I loved it and why it was my favorite (still is).10/10 would watch it again soon, and if I have kids I'll make sure they watch it too.

I've known about this movie version since its release. And I never read the book (probably didn't even know that it was even based on a book at the time). For years, I initially had no interest in seeing it. That is, until I first came across the animated version of this that aired as part of the ABC Weekend Specials and I was curious enough to check out (which I did on Youtube) and enjoyed it. A few months later and earlier this year, I decided to search for and watch this live action version on Putlocker and enjoyed it just as much. This is another one I've since added to the "What have I been missing?" list. I guess somehow I not only underrated this, but underestimated it as well. I consider this to be among the best or greatest family films of all time. For several years, I didn't know there were any other live action adaptations of the book and I wouldn't discover them until I came across them online. I haven't seen Hallmark's T.V. movie rendition nor the first live action one from 1949, but I'd like to see those too, though I want to see Hallmark's first, once I'm finally able to find it and stream online. From what I've read about it, this may be truer to its source and maybe even the truest out of all these film/T.V. remakes, but I'm partial to this and the ABC Weekend Special.Without much further ado, onto the points I'm making about this. It is absolutely fantastic, spectacular. Following her parents' deaths, a girl named Mary Lennox is sent away from India to England to live with her uncle and his son in a mansion. But little does Mary know after she arrives there, she's about to be in for a surprise: A different kind of garden that isn't run-of- the-mill, a garden she's never seen before, a garden that's full of magic and marvel. The titular place that is the central focus of the story, it has the special powers of healing and rejuvenation. The role it plays involves some other things, but I don't want to give away too much more. I can see why the story is among the most beloved of all time. It has some nice, tender, mostly wholesome moments, then of course, there's the enchantment of the garden. It may be one of the most creative tales ever written. To everyone who hasn't already seen this, don't sleep on it like I did. I wish I had checked it out sooner. Everything about it is well done, from the writing to the acting to the cinematography to the music. It's just great all around. To find out more about it, y'all have got to see for yourselves. One of those movies that is a must- see and a must-not-miss, I love it and I've had a newfound appreciation for it since.

Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) was born and raised in India. She didn't like it there with her neglectful parents. They die in an earthquake and she is sent to live at her absent uncle's Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire run by housekeeper Mrs. Medlock (Maggie Smith). Her aunt died in childbirth 10 years ago and was her mother's twin. She is once again neglected as she explores the estate. She is an angry little girl but she's befriended by the cheerful servant Martha Sowerby (Laura Crossley). She discovers a locked abandoned secret garden and then her sickly cousin Colin Craven (Heydon Prowse).Mary is such an angry little girl and her cousin is just as bad. This could have been ugly with such unlikeable kids. However the point of the movie is that they find a true family with each other for the first time in their lives. It's very touching. The movie is tinged with a melancholy which may not be to the liking of little kids. There is not doubt a poetry in this and maybe this is not so much for the kids.