The Secret Garden (1993 film)

The Secret Garden is a 1993 fantasy drama film directed by Agnieszka Holland, executive-produced by Francis Ford Coppola and distributed by Warner Bros. under their Family Entertainment imprint. Starring Kate Maberly, Heydon Prowse, Andrew Knott, John Lynch and Maggie Smith, the film's screenplay was written by Caroline Thompson, based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The novel was previously adapted in 1919 and 1949.

Set in the ominously beautiful landscape of the Yorkshire Moors, in Northern England, Yorkshire's Allerton Castle was used for most of the exterior shots of Misselthwaite Manor (the primary location of the entire story), as well as the interior shots. The film was critically and commercially successful, grossing around $40 million worldwide. Dame Maggie Smith was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and young lead actress Kate Maberly received a "Special Achievement Award For Outstanding Performance" at the 1994 London Critics Circle Film Awards. At the 1993 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, the film's composer, Zbigniew Preisner, won "Best Music" for the film's lush, impressive score. The film also features a song performed by Linda Ronstadt, called "Winter Light", which plays as the credits roll; the song features lyrics set to one of Preisner's orchestral themes ("Awakening of Spring") in the film. In 2005, the British Film Institute included it in their list of the "50 films you should see by the age of 14".

Plot

In 1901, after an earthquake kills her parents, orphaned 10-year-old Mary Lennox is sent from her home in British India to her uncle Lord Archibald Craven's mansion in the Yorkshire Moors, England. She is unloved and neglected by her parents, who Mary felt were selfish and materialistic. As a result, Mary is cold, stern and so repressed that she "doesn't know how" to cry.

Headmistress housekeeper Mrs. Medlock informs Mary that her uncle, who spends most of his time "away", will likely not have time to see her. Mary hears sounds of wailing at night and finds a hidden door in her room that leads to empty wings of the mansion, including her aunt's old room. There, she discovers an ornate key. However, Mrs. Medlock chases Mary to play outside to keep her distracted whenever the crying starts inside. Mary finds her late Aunt Lilias' overgrown, walled garden, which has been locked since her death 10 years ago. She realizes that the key will open the gate, but keeps it her "secret garden". Dickon Sowerby is the younger brother of Mary's maid, Martha. He is an outdoorsy boy who is good with animals and plants, and helps to maintain the premises. Mary and Dickon clean up the secret garden, and Mary becomes somewhat happier. She also meets her uncle, who is sad and stern, but kind.

Hidden-away inside the mansion, the source of the crying is Lord Craven's son (and Mary's cousin), Master Colin Craven, who has been treated like a sickly cripple his entire life. This has made him a spoiled, short-tempered boy, who has never left his room nor ever walked and is confined to his bed or a wheelchair. His father rarely comes to see him, partly because Colin looks like his mother, and also in the fear that Colin will die soon, and he will plunge further into depression. Mary meets Colin, showing him little mercy as his attitude tests her patience. Although taken aback by his bedridden lifestyle, she puts her foot down and refuses to give in to his whims, and proves to him that he is not really sick. She massages his joints and muscles, and he struggles out of bed, albeit to a wheelchair. Encouraged by Mary and Dickon, Colin goes outside for the first time as they take him to the secret garden. 

The three children spend their free time in the garden daily; Colin eventually learns to walk, inspired by an orphaned lamb does the same. The trio keep this hidden from the staff, including Mrs. Medlock, who eventually finds Colin is not in his bed. Furious with Mary for "exposing" Colin to germs, Mrs. Medlock accidentally hits Dr. Craven in the face and they fall down to the floorboard. Colin exercises his authority as "second in-charge" while his father is away. He demands to be allowed freedom from his room. To the shock of all, the children openly continue their outdoor forays, Colin hiding the fact that he can now walk from the adults. He wants his father to be the first one to see him walking. The trio have a bonfire and recite a made-up "spell" to beckon Lord Craven to return home. That morning, Craven dreams of his deceased wife calling out, "Archie! I'm in the garden...with Colin..."; upon waking, he returns. Mrs. Medlock and the staff are in a frenzy, not expecting him back so soon; with the children gone outside, she places all the blame on Mary. Craven responds, "She is just a child," as he ventures outside. In the secret garden, he sees Colin walk, leaving him speechless and crying. 

Seeing her cousin and uncle sharing a moment, Mary bursts into tears for the first time and flees to a hillside overlooking the Moors. Dickon tries to console her as she repeats that the garden "wasn't wanted." She thinks that she, too, is unwanted by her uncle, and the garden will be closed again. Craven and Colin find Mary, sulking. Taken aback at Mary's emotions, Craven reassures her, saying "...you brought us back to life". He promises never to lock the garden again. Dickon informs Martha and the rest of the manor staff of the good news. The staff watches in shock and joy as Lord Craven and the children come home together.

Cast

Production

Filming locations

Yorkshire's imposing Allerton Castle was used for most of the exterior shots of Misselthwaite Manor, and some of the interior was also used. Fountains Hall was also used for part of the exterior. Interiors of the former Midland Grand Hotel in London were used for filming as well, notably the scenes on the grand staircase.

Soundtrack
The film features the end credits song "Winter Light" performed by Linda Ronstadt, which is based on two themes from the score by Zbigniew Preisner. However, this song was not included in the film's original soundtrack release, but was in Ronstadt's eponymous album Winter Light. Sarah Brightman and the youngest member of Celtic Woman, Chloë Agnew, covered it for their albums; Brightman's Classics and Agnew's Walking In The Air. The soundtrack, released by Varèse Sarabande, contains the original score.

Release

Home media
The Secret Garden was originally released on VHS in the UK on 1 August 1994 and was re-released on 15 December 1997 by Warner Home Video.

Reception
Since its 1993 release, the film has garnered positive reviews. The Secret Garden has an approval rating of 88% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 43 reviews, and an average rating of 7.9/10.  The site's critics consensus reads, "The Secret Garden honors its classic source material with a well-acted, beautifully filmed adaptation that doesn't shy from its story's darker themes". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.

Desson Thomson of The Washington Post praised the acting by young actors, calling their acts "quite proficient and un-sappy too", but adding, "it's not their fault if they too often seem like chessmen being moved around on the director's board, composed into picturesque tableaux". Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote that "[the film is] executed to near perfection in all artistic departments", and called it "[a] superior adaptation", mentioning that "[the adaptation] of the perennial favorite novel will find its core public among girls, but should prove satisfying enough to a range of audiences".

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "C+" and called it "earnest, heartfelt, and, for all its lavishness, rather plodding". Janet Maslin of The New York Times called this new adaptation of The Secret Garden "[an] elegantly expressive, a discreet and lovely rendering of the children's classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett".

Trevor Johnston of Time Out said that "With well-judged performances played straight, and topical subtexts (Green consciousness, the dysfunctional family), this 'children's' film sets no age limit on its potential audience".

The film grossed $31.2 million in the US and Canada. Internationally, it grossed $8.8 million for a worldwide total of $40 million.

Awards and nominations
Award wins
 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music – (Zbigniew Preisner)
Award nominations
 BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role - (Maggie Smith)

References

Bibliography

External links

 

1993 drama films
American children's drama films
1990s historical films
American Zoetrope films
Films about orphans
Films based on The Secret Garden
Warner Bros. films
Films scored by Zbigniew Preisner
Films set in 1901
Films set in country houses
Films set in India
Films set in the British Raj
Films set in Yorkshire
Films directed by Agnieszka Holland
Films shot at Pinewood Studios
Films with screenplays by Caroline Thompson
Films produced by Fred Roos
American drama films
British drama films
British historical films
1990s English-language films
1990s American films
1990s British films