The Secret Garden

Every now and then, I like to go back and rent a film I've not seen in years. Something to remind me of a time where magic was still something that opened my eyes wide; when a story about children believing in the impossible made it happen, and that very act made me believe that there was still something magical in each of us. This weekend, I nestled up in the corner of my couch, girlfriend in one hand, discount soda in the other, and popped in this old favorite: The Secret Garden.

Director Agnieszka Holland creates a world in which these three children can discover the meaning of hope, and love. The story surrounds a young girl whose parents are killed while living in British India. She is sent to live with her depressed Uncle, who has been in a 10 year lament over the loss of his wife. His wife is the sister to her mother.

The young girl learns the value of making friends, and doing things on her own. She discovers a secret garden, her uncle's wife's garden. Along with her new friend Dickon, she helps the garden come back to life.

She discovers a secret though. In the manor that she lives in, the uncle hides away his crippled son. The maids and servants follow a strict routine to bring him back to health. But it is through the friendship that he develops with Mary and Dickon that he is healed. And brought closer to his estranged father.

This is a feel good movie that not only makes you smile and cry a bit, but impresses through the style of filmic storytelling. I was amazed at such a 'serious' childish story that held such an interesting camera eye. It was the eye of a child, something that I feel is sometimes lost in cinema today. The eye that can believe anything, and show us anything if we're willing to believe it. Even the acting by the children and the staff seemed beyond solid. I felt as if I were there, in nasty wet Brittan, hoping that the uncle would hear his children’s cry. And the uncle even held his ground on the screen, though few lines came from his mouth, he presented himself as a strong yet broken man deeply looking for a reason to see the next day.

Yeah, I think this film is pretty damn solid, and worth the watch if you've not yet seen it. It's a dip into the fairy tale world where Neverland was unable to reach. It's a story about children, and the magic they can create simply by being together, and in the Secret Garden. Bring your girlfriend/boyfriend, and the box of Kleenex, kills the lights and watch as the children take you back to a time you may have forgotten. 7.25 of 10.