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This version, starring Colin Firth as the haunted uncle, plays the same notes as the 1911 novel and the past films, and that’s smart for this dubious moment.
By Lovia Gyarkye
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In a year defined by surprise, the predictability of “The Secret Garden” — a new film adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved 1911 novel — proves more charming than tedious.
Mary Lennox (Dixie Egerickx), a 10-year-old girl who is maltes and emotionally ignored, moves into her uncle’s assets in Yorkshire, England, after her parents died of cholera in India. His uncle Archibald Craven, played by Colin Firth, is a hypochondriac too distressed by his wife’s death to pay genuine attention to Mary. She struggles to adapt and finds solace in exploring the grounds of her new home. In one of her adventures, she discovers a hidden lawn (which her uncle closed after her aunt’s death) that leads her to notice her family’s story.
Directed through Marc Munden (“National Treasure”) from a script through Jack Thorne (who adapted “His Dark Materials” for television), the film follows Mary and blurs the line between the eye of the mind of the years of formation and reality. The garden, where she spends most of her time, also becomes a character, reflecting Mary’s moods and nourishing her as she becomes softer and kinder.
The friendship, between Mary, his sick cousin Colin (Edan Hayhurst) and Dickon (Amir Wilson), the younger adventurous brother of a genuine property employee, anchors this story about pain and redemption. As the varied team works together to unlock the magic of the garden, they demonstrate tender moments of vulnerability and joy that can teach even the most cynical among us a lesson or two.
The secret garden Classified PG. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes. Rent or shop on Google Play and streaming platforms and pay TV operators.
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