The Secret Garden

What director Munden does so brilliantly is not to use computer-generated effects to build a perfect beautiful garden where one doesn’t exist, but use CG to create a perfect “magical” garden instead, and it works as intended. He uses CG magic to create the film’s “magic.” Even better, Munden also refuses to let the CG elements dominate the story, using them only to enhance what readers loved about The Secret Garden in the first place: the power of the garden to heal in unexpected ways.

The Secret Garden is a story of death and coping with loss from the perspective of children. Much like life, tragedy either makes us stronger or halts our growth indefinitely, no matter if you are a child or an adult. For Archibald, he dealt with the tragedy by putting it in a box, never to be seen again. For Mary, she internalized the death of her parents to the point of blaming herself and taking on the burden of guilt.

“…the CG magic of the garden and Dixie Egerickx…are the primary reason this movie works.”

The Secret Garden is not a perfect film, but it’s a faithful adaptation to the original story. It captures the underlying themes that may not have been addressed adequately in the 1993 production. Along with the brilliant script from Jack Thorne, the CG magic of the garden and Dixie Egerickx’s portrayal of Mary are the primary reason this movie works. Egerickx brings a fantastic understanding of Mary to her portrayal, and the way she plays out her character’s arc is brilliant, especially for a young actress.

As I think about it, as good as Colin Firth and Julie Walters are, I was not blown away by their performance. I’ll chalk it up to minimal screen time and how easy it is to play mean or disinterested. Edan Hayhurst, as Colin was OK, though his physical acting being fake disabled was cringe. Amir Wilson and Iris Davis, as Dicken and Martha respectively, are also good but stilted.

That said, Munden’s version of The Secret Garden takes over as “king of the hill” as the best version of the story. The deliberate use of CG effects, Dixie Egerickx’s performance, and its keen understanding of the true heart and message of the story make The Secret Garden worth watching and may find itself given the title of “classic.”