Hallmark’s The Secret Garden (1987) is one of several screen adaptations of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 novel of the same name. The made-for-TV movie, directed by Alan Grint, beautifully relives the story in a family-friendly and positive tone.
Mary Lennox as the child with a privileged attitude is played by Gennie James as viewers follow her journey from Colonial India to a large mansion in England where she discovers quite a few secrets – mainly a garden where no one goes anymore and a boy Colin (Jadrien Steele), who is about her age and suffers from a debilitating condition. Mary would come to realize that the secret garden is not so secret after all but it holds the secret to the liberation of her host family from its affliction.
Grint’s The Secret Garden has all the merits of a children/family film. The setting is visually appealing and compliments the feel of adventure that is part of Mary’s journey. The characters are relatable and the mood is upbeat. One can’t miss the inspiring effect conveyed through the transforming of Colin’s character but also of Mary, whose own bitterness and self-centeredness dissipate as she finds friends in the place where she least expected it.
IMDb trivia page for the movie says that the screenplay by Blanche Hanalis for this adaptation changed the relation between some characters so that Mary and Colin are not cousins, which they are in the novel, and thus clearing their path for a romantic relationship as grown-up characters (played by Irina Brook and Colin Firth). Seen without the novel’s context, this works well for the story.
Note: This reviewer has not read Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel, which is the basis for this movie; hence no assessment of the movie in context of the book.
