The Secret Garden (PG) ***

  • Page Views 815
  • Family Pride!

    Somewhat of a rarity these days are films made for children. Harder still is to discover one that is good. Able to bridge that gap and reach a high summit is Elevation Pictures with their release of the new film The Secret Garden. Young and old should enjoy the fantasy by simply dialing up your local cable company or internet carrier.
    Not all people are created equal. Like it or not this truism also applies to film companies. Relatively new studio STX films deserve lots of credit for taking a chance on trying to enter the uncertain realm of children’s entertainment. Under the wise guidance of visionary producer Bob Simonds, The Secret Garden succeeds in bringing an imaginative creative story to the screen at a time when a little feel good fare is much needed and welcomed.
    Casting means everything to the success of a movie and this fact can’t be disputed. Here the victim/heroine of the piece is young Mary Lennox. At the ripe old age of ten Dixie Egerickx captures your soul as a spoiled child trapped in India during the ill-fated partition of mysterious India under current British rule.  Left to her own devices the young lass is uprooted to rural England and left in the custody of her wealthy uncle. Here the movie kicks into high gear
    Trappings of success can lead to just that: being trapped. Consider it a battle of the minds as Uncle Archibald Craven just seems a fixing for a fight with his new house guest, Oscar winning actor Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) lays down the law to his latest visitor which only seems to make matters worse, as would be expected. Told not to break any of the house rules it doesn’t take long for our Miss Columbo in training to discover all sorts of secrets and family skeletons in this haunted Shanghai-la.
    Let the clouds clear as one day while exploring the great outdoors Our determined girl finds passage to a hidden garden which opens up all sorts of strange doors. Meanwhile back at her new home away from home a further wrench is thrown into the proceedings as a kept boy surfaces which further adds to all the mystery and family baggage that seems to run through everything at  Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire, England.
    Full of substance, hope and Inspiration The Secret Garden has all those fantasy elements and special qualities that will appeal to children, though it’s not all fun and laughs and does have a few serious moments . Love of family is at the heart of this tale as well as the ability to overcome adversity. For it all to work you have to buy into the plight of Mary and actress Dixie Egerickx pulls it off without missing a beat. And that great estate is as eerie and ostentatious as can be.
    With a good back-up cast fit for any Masterpiece Theatre saga Including Julie Walters ( Educating Rita) and an atmosphere befitting those classic Robin Leach Lifestyles of  the Rich and Famous guilty pleasure epics director Marc Munden hits all the right notes.
    For more film reviews please go to and subscribe to my new YouTube channel Robert Waldman The Movie World and check out my website https://moviereviewssite.com/

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • 20 November 2024
      2 days ago No comment

      Surrey Tree Lighting Festival welcomes Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Phil Wizard on Nov. 23 Canadian artist and athlete to host breakdance demonstration

      Surrey, B.C. – The City of Surrey is proud to announce that Canadian breakdancer and 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist Philip Kim, also known as Phil Wizard, will host a breakdance demonstration at the 14th annual Surrey Tree Lighting Festival & Holiday Market at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. ...

    • Photo by the Canadian Armed Forces.
      14 November 2024
      1 week ago No comment

      How Filipinos contribute to Canada’s diverse military

      As one of the biggest racialized populations in Canada, Filipinos are helping build a diverse and inclusive society. Filipinos are found in almost every aspect of life in the country, including the military. In the lead-up to this year’s commemoration of Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week, Statistics Canada on ...

    • 07 November 2024
      2 weeks ago No comment

      Marcos congratulates Trump

      President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines has congratulated Donald Trump for winning the November 5, 2024 U.S. presidential election. “President Trump has won, and the American people have triumphed. I congratulate them on their victory in an exercise that showed the world the strength of American values,” Marcos ...

    • Pope Francis addresses the crowd from the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's square during the Angelus prayer on October 27, 2024 in The Vatican.
      04 November 2024
      3 weeks ago No comment

      Pope prays for Kristine victims in Philippines

      MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis has offered prayers for Filipinos affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. At Sunday’s Angelus address at the Vatican, the 87-year-old pontiff reportedly mentioned praying for the victims of Kristine. “I am close to the population of the Philippines, struck by a powerful cyclone. May ...

    • 04 November 2024
      3 weeks ago No comment

      Duterte: no apology, no excuses for drug war

      Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on October 28, 2024 offered no apologies or excuses for his actions as he faced a Senate investigation into his widely criticized bloody war on drugs for the first time. Before reading his prepared statement during the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, ...