by Shane Conto
What is the cheapest and most common move in the film industry? Remaking the hell out of every SINGLE literary classic and dooming humanity to a new version every few years. Is that too harsh? Yet again a studio has gotten its hands wrapped around Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic children’s novel, The Secret Garden. But in a world created by Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, we need to give this classic tale a bit of an edge. You surely heard that one right? I thought I was watching a horror/thriller for at least the first ten minutes. Why did director Marc Munden decide to build scenes that had a tone of a horror film with creepy sounds in the middle of the night in a giant gloomy estate? No idea…but it was weird. This classic tale begins with a recently orphaned girl (all the best children’s stories have orphans) becoming the ward of her recluse uncle who has lost his wife (another cliché of course).
Give this girl a vast manor to search through that has repressed feeling around every corner and you have a hit on your hands. Or do you?
When it comes to classic children’s stories, there is a long history of memorable and likeable young heroes/heroines to adore. Unfortunately, Mary from 2020’s The Secret Garden is no such protagonist. To be honest, Mary is completely insufferable. She is rude, hateful, racist, spoiled, et cetera, et cetera. It takes nearly the entire film for Mary to build any sympathy or real connections. By the end, I felt bad only because of what her character has been through. When you have an unlikeable lead you really need to have other characters for the audience to connect with, especially in a family film. Jack Thorne, the screenwriter, leans heavily on the suffering of our characters and not enough on building them into three-dimensional characters. Great actors like Colin Firth and Julie Walters don’t have much to work with through the whole film. Firth gets one sequence towards the very end that just might justify his casting but in general, he is completely under-utilized. The story as a whole is generic and cliched around every corner. The plot moves along just how you would expect it…beat for beat.
There may be “twists” or “realizations” throughout, but they never feel exciting or original. To top it off, the film comes to a rushed and anti-climactic end.
After all of this, you probably think that I hated this. You would be incorrect…and here are some of the reasons why. The cinematography. I could just leave it at that but let’s gush a little bit. Every frame of this film is filled with warmth and gorgeous lighting. Lol Crawly, the DP, is able to bring energy and beauty into every single frame. I was grabbed from the very start. As I sat watching the film, I was in awe of every shot. Once Mary makes her way to the titular garden, the audience is offered a wonderful treat.
The gorgeous greens, bright and beautiful flowers, and magical atmosphere fills the film with a sense of wonder.
The connection that Mary and the other characters build with the garden is the purest and most genuine aspect of the film. I was surprised by how subtle and effective the visual effects were as well. The rest of the film might not elevate the film above a tired retread, but the garden scenes sure do. Our protagonist is also able to grow the most through her adorable relationship with a cute little pooch. As the film moves along and spends more time in the magical landscape, the more interested I became.
Was 2020 the year we needed this new version of The Secret Garden? I definitely wouldn’t go that far. Is this watchable little flick something that can possibly be enjoyed by the whole family? That I can get behind.
If you can get past a stale plot, weak characters, and a strange tone in order to enjoy the magic that The Secret Garden can provide, you might just want to give this one a watch.
Grade: C+