Very well executed

Truly Dreadful Film

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

This version of the classic children's book is truer to the story than the 1949 version starring Margaret O'Brien. Some liberties have been taken to shorten the period when Mary is the only child (or so she thinks) in the old manor, which helps the pace of the film (and avoids it starting to look too much like a ghost story to the uninitiated). The three child leads are excellent (and better matched to the characters' ages than the '49 cast) as is the adult supporting cast. I would have liked to hear more "Yorkshire" in the adult's voices (much emphasised in the book) but that might have required subtitles. The only part of the film that I felt was weak was the 'magic' ceremony with the torches, during which Colin 'summons' back his father. The whole scene seemed out of place and inconsistent with the children's backgrounds and earlier behaviours. The script writer should have stayed with the much subtler magic of love and longing - the core message, along with spring and rebirth, of the book.

I finally got an HBO subscription so now have many films at my disposal (I've seen most anyways but still). I also had this film on DVD lying around somewhere but finally decided to watch it. I wasn't very clear on what the film was about beforehand but the premise sounded like the family friendly fantastical tale that could be worth the watch.The Secret Garden is about a spoiled girl who lives in India until her parents untimely death. She is then relocated to her uncles mansion where she discovers she has a recluse cousin (who is hidden away) who is sealed off because he is ill and can't walk. They both travel out to a secret garden which seems to improve his health mysteriously. Along the way, the two form a connection despite initially butting heads. The film is based off the novel of the same name.The verdict is that this film makes for an enjoyable time. Its an older film so the film could use some digital enhancing to make some of the scenes more vibrant (ahem Blu-Ray treatment). The film has the charm of 90s children fantasy films that movies of today cannot really recreate. While thee child acting is not great and the accents (especially of the child maid) are horrible its forgivable when you think of the films market. The film's fantastical elements are undertold as it relies on the magic of the garden and placing faith in its spiritual abilities without actually seeing much on screen, which is fine.The film isn't an absolute must watch by any sense, nor is it something that many people will have heard of. It is however, a harmless film that captures a bit of the essence of children's films of the past while establishing inspiration amongst curious kids as they journey into something fantastical together. There's plenty of cute animals and naturalistic shots for those who would appreciate that sort of thing anymore. Its not a film that would be successful today because of its simplistic presentation and understated visuals, but its solid.7/10

We used to attend Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival. If this film was shown there, we missed it. Clearly it should have been there. This is the most overlooked great film I've seen in a long time.I never read the original novel, and I'm sure that would make a difference, but as a newbie to this children's story I was surprised how strongly I was moved by it. There's something about an unloved child that tugs at the heart strings and the lead here, Kate Maberly, is near perfect as Mary Lennox, the child heroine who manages to bring life to a home that's been robbed of it despite having greatly suffered herself.The cast is basically three wonderful child actors and Maggie Smith and this film needed someone as strong as her to counter the children's powerful performances. This may be the best family movie (I generally dislike family movies) I've ever seen. There's no mawkish sappiness here.

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.