'The Secret Garden' A Review

The Secret Garden is a family drama the most recent adaptation of the book of the same name. Mary Lennox(Dixie Egerickx) is orphaned in India and sent to live with her uncle Archibald Craven(Colin Firth). Narcissist-in-training Mary finds the titular secret garden, befriends her invalid cousin Colin(Edan Hayhurst) and moor roaming boy Dickon(Amir Wilson) and brings light to an already light and fanciful place.

Egerickx gives a valiant effort but is out of her depth, able to convey the irritating preciousness of the character but without any of the dimension or necessary pathos. Unfortunately the supporting cast almost unilaterally have little screen time and remain thin, an excessive amount of time is spent at the beginning in India and we continue to flashback to that time at the cost of the supporting casts development.

Vibrant and baffling lush(is this is tropical garden in England?) visually the film is very pretty and the spooky estate of Mistlethway not so much foreboding as set designed to inch of it's life by a Wes Anderson devotee. The Secret Garden is a somewhat dark emotional tale and there is no darkness(or depth) here just presentational twee blandness. The only strong response the movie elicits is the desire to go back and watched your preferred version(for me it's 1993's haunting but ultimately hopeful incarnation).

Currently available for rent on most VOD platforms.

Don't See It.