THE SECRET GARDEN

UK, 2019, 101 minutes, Colour.
Dixie Egerickx, Amir Wilson, Evan Hayhurst, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Jemma Powell, Maeve Dermody, Isis Davis..
Directed by Marc Munden.

The Secret Garden, based on a very popular novel over the last hundred years, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, has been filmed many times, the cinema, television series. In fact, it was filmed in 1919, five years before the death of the author.

Which means that an adult audience looking at this new version, will probably have a favourite or favourites from the past. This reviewer came early to The Secret Garden, in 1949, with the black and white version starring Margaret O’Brien? and Dean Stockwell, the magic being that when Mary opens the door of the garden, the film bursts into technicolour. Never to be forgotten! Other audiences may remember the 1993 version with Maggie Smith.

The difficulty with having a favourite is that a new version, especially one the audience does not quite approve of because it is not like their favourite, is that there is quite some condemnation. And, for this version, this is particularly the case if one looks at the vast number of negative comments on the Internet movie database. Which is a pity. Obviously people have their choices, but it is sad if it excludes others.

The initial action takes place in India. However, this version moves to the time of Partition, the atmosphere of unrest in 1947 India, British children having to return home to England, an austere and post-war England. Mary suffers some severe shocks. She has been brought up to be superior, arrogant in a colonialist kind of way, expecting to have servants to look after her, to dress her… And she is brought to a decaying mansion, presided over by her uncle, Colin Firth in a rather Rochester vein, who is brooding over the death of his wife. The household is presided over by the dressed in black, severe Mrs Medlock, Julie Walters, who brooks no nonsense.

Mary is confined to her own quarters, forbidden to wander the house on pain of being sent away to school. Of course, she does, finding a room where her mother and her twin sister, met when they were in England, a room for mementos, dresses… But, she also discovers her cousin, Colin, a bedridden hypochondriac, also with a touch of the arrogant.

On the brighter and friendlier side, there is a young woman who is deputed to supervise Mary in daily practical matters, Martha (Isis Davis) who has a young brother, Dickon (Amir Wilson) whom Mary encounters poaching in the fields, whom she befriends. He is to help her in her mission, to bring her cousin, Colin, out of his confinement, out into the air – and, especially, to experience the sun, the beauty of the rather vast magic garden on the property.

This is quite a robust version of the story. Mary is always a strong character, but with Dixie Egerickx’s performance, she is very strong and vigorous, quite a commanding figure. Dickon is very sympathetic with his involvement. And, Colin begins to mellow.

Obviously, Mary will be found out by Mrs Medlock. But not by her uncle. His brooding builds up to quite some melodrama, his being unwilling to be reminded of his wife and her illness, some flashbacks for him about his wife’s death which took place peacefully in the magic garden, flashbacks for Mary and memories of her mother’s illness and her not understanding it and feeling hurt.

What better to bring the drama to a conclusion than the uncle setting fire to the mansion, rushing to his son’s room to rescue him, being saved by Mary – and happy reconciliation between father and son, the son getting out of his wheelchair, walking to his father.

As has been said, this is a rather strong version of The Secret Garden. And, of course, there will be many other versions.

1. The popularity of the novel, film and television versions? 21st-century version?

2. The setting, Partition, the situation in India? The return to England? Post World War II? Posterity?

3. India, the Raj, Partition, colonial, wealth, illness and death? The voyage home?

4. The train, travel, the remote mansion, the grounds? The interiors of the house? Secret Garden, its extent, foliage, beauty? The ultimate fire? The musical score?

5. Mary’s story, in India, her age, her father and the end of British rule, her mother, illness and death, feeling alienated? This haunting her? Learning more about her mother, her aunt, their time together at the mansion? In the garden, her Aunt’s death? The visions of her mother, reconciliation?

6. The uncle, recluse, brooding, his behaviour, rules for Mary? Her exploring the house against orders? The discovery of the rooms, the rooms with addresses and the memories of her mother and aunt? The discovery of Colin’s room? Mrs Medlock’s reaction?

7. Mary,’s age, strong character, expecting servants, arrogance? In the house, restricted, her explorations? Martha, her treatment, the beginning of the friendship?

8. The grounds, Mary and the dog, calling it Jemima? The injury? Caring for Dickon, the growing friendship, out in the grounds? The sandwich, giving the dog the meat, luring it? Dickon’s place in the household, Martha’s brother, in the grounds? With the dog? The growing friendship and companionship?

9. Colin, hypochondriac, in the room, attitude towards his father, memories of his mother? Interactions with Mary? Her willing him out? In the grounds, his reaction, the dog? Learning to play, in the wheelchair, getting out? Swimming? The change?

10. The devices Mary and Dickon get up to to get Colin out?

11. Mary, restricted, the rocking horse, finding the letters, reading them, the change for her?

12. Her uncle, setting the mansion alight, the fire, seeking Colin, Mary going inside, rescuing her uncle? His collapse?

13. Taking her uncle to the garden, Colin outside, the embrace of father and son, Colin walking?

14. A robust version of the popular story?