The Secret Garden

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The Secret Garden

G

1993

1h 41m

Kids & Family

Drama

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

44 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic fairy tale, The Secret Garden. Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) is an orphan sent to live with her uncle at his mansion that is full of secrets. She discovers a crippled cousin she never knew she had and a neglected garden she is determined to bring back to life.

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Critics Consensus

The Secret Garden honors its classic source material with a well-acted, beautifully filmed adaptation that doesn't shy from its story's darker themes.

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Fred Camper

Chicago Reader

06/02/2022

...though Solomon seems to assert that his films fundamentally consist of the physical images themselves, and not what those images might represent, he doesn’t abandon representational imagery completely...

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Jay Carr

Boston Globe

08/01/2013

The result is an instant classic -- rich, dense, resonant, powerful.

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Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

08/01/2013

3.5/4

While drawing superb performances from her young leads, Holland has masterfully contrasted the garden -- a place where melodic robins seem almost conversant -- with the dread of Misselthwaite.

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Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

10/04/2024

Roger Deakins’ photography captures the beauty and the awe of the house and the garden, making for a truly immersive viewing experience.

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Josh Slater-Williams

Vague Visages

11/13/2023

Maybe it’s not worth complaining that there aren’t more films like The Secret Garden when the way it quietly excels is partially dependent on how modest its pleasures are in comparison to its louder peers.

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Brian D. Johnson

Maclean's Magazine

10/09/2019

Visually, The Secret Garden is enchanting. Working in English for the first time, with Francis Coppola as her executive producer, Agnieszka Holland conjures up a fairy-tale world of images...

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Garrett H

@SpindlyMan Feb 3

I want a secret garden. 🥹

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Joy B.

@9mr_0 Jan 2

فيلم هادئ ودافئ رغم التصوير البارد في البداية القصة عبارة عن تحولات نفسية اكثر من الحوارات و الحديث قوته الحقيقية في الجو العام: تصوير شاعري للطبيعة، موسيقى حسّاسة، وإخراج عبقري استغل الاجواء ليترك الصورة تتكلم الأطفال ادائهم كان ممتاز تطوّر شخصياتهم تدريجي ومقنع من العزلة و التكبر و الانانية و الخوف إلى المحبة و الاخوه. اداء قوي من الممثلة التي قامت بدور ( ميدلوك) . الفلم ايقاعة بطيىء لكن بشكل جميل و اجواء مختلفة تتناسب مع كول تحول يحصل في القصة

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Chase L

@tailsfan12 Dec 18

The secret garden 2020 is better than trash The secret garden 1993, do not watch this

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Madison F.

@RT50751870 Dec 5

In my view, the 1993 adaptation of The Secret Garden remains the definitive version—so accomplished that comparisons almost feel unfair. The performances are fantastic across the board, especially from the actors portraying Mary, Martha, and the ever-stern Mrs. Medlock. This film cultivates an atmosphere that’s quietly, irresistibly eerie. It wraps you in this “ambiently spooky” spell that doesn’t just draw you in; it lingers, coaxing you to stay a little longer. It’s been an enduring favorite of mine since childhood, and has remained one of the rare comforts I’ll always come back to.

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David Brian O

@RT91314735 Aug 24

Avoid the 2020 film version - it is a shocker - takes liberties with the story, ditches the gardener totally. This is a gem of a movie... beautifully crafted

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Blu B

@RT43513976 Aug 13

All Time Classic. You know this was one of the first movies I ever saw and yet I had barely any memory of it at all and I swear I watched it multiple times. So it was like watching it for the first time in a way. This is shot like a Merchant Ivory flick and looks beautiful. The dreary interior compared to the garden is a great juxtaposition. Really good acting too. The kids were a bit annoying at first but the more it went on the more I liked them. Really well made all around honestly. It can feel a bit like it's about the girl at first and than becomes more about the son of the father of the mansion. This is also a slow burn the entire way. The ending really is what sent it over the top for me. It made everything click, understand the symbolism of the garden, and really warmed my heart. Proof to always stay till the ending. It's a real timeless tale. Everyone should give this a shot once.

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Agnieszka Holland

Director

Kate Maberly

Mary Lennox

Heydon Prowse

Colin Craven

Maggie Smith

Mrs. Medlock

John Lynch

Lord Craven

Andrew Knott

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Synopsis

Adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic fairy tale, The Secret Garden. Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) is an orphan sent to live with her uncle at his mansion that is full of secrets. She discovers a crippled cousin she never knew she had and a neglected garden she is determined to bring back to life.

Director: Agnieszka Holland
Producer: Fred Fuchs, Fred Roos, Tom Luddy
Screenwriter: Frances Hodgson Burnett, Caroline Thompson
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Drama, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 1, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $30.0M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo, Dolby Stereo