The 1993 remake of The Secret Garden is a beautifully produced rendition of the classic Frances Hodgon Burnett novel about a young girl (Kate Maberly) who discovers an abandoned garden on her uncle's large Victorian country estate, as well as an invalid cousin she didn't realize she had. With the help of a local boy, the girl sets out to restore the garden and, once it is blooming again, she discovers it has magical powers. After it has flowered, she brings her cousin to the garden, and he is magically healed. Although this version of The Secret Garden isn't quite as strong as the original 1949 movie, the story is nevertheless moving in any format and the production is very beautiful to look at. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
is neutral about it.
This dark, disturbing version of a classic family story was directed with great delicacy by
Agnieszka Holland. The novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett was first made into a film in 1949, starring
Margaret O'Brien. Four decades later, renewed interest in the story prompted two made-for-television films, one in Britain and one in the United States; a Broadway musical; and this 1993 remake. Young Kate Maberly has the central role as an orphan girl sent to live in the creepy mansion of her reclusive uncle, in which a sensitive, disabled cousin resides. This joint British-American production also features veteran actors
Maggie Smith and
John Lynch. Movie magic provides a redeeming ending when the secret garden blooms; but much of the film can be frightening for younger children. Holland's work is mature, faithful to the original, and unusually challenging for "family" fare. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide