Like 'A Little Princess', also written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 'The Secret Garden' is a lovely, engrossing read with memorable characters, some of whom that you don't exactly like at first but as they grow and change one likes them much more, and a vivid setting.There will always be debate as to which version is the best version of 'The Secret Garden'. The most faithful is perhaps the 1975 adaptation, and the 1949 film with Margaret O'Brien is also very much worthwhile. My personal favourite is the 1993 film, one of my favourites as a child and is still an enchanting film now (and no this is not nostalgia talking, there has been a fair share of childhood favourites that hold up poorly now), to me it had more polish and heart.In no way is that to knock this 1987 adaptation. It stands pretty well on its own enough, and there are some faithful moments and most of the characters are true to personality and how they evolve, but there are also some very odd deviations that do distract pretty badly (anybody looking for a completely faithful adaptation without strange deviations and additions should look elsewhere).Two in particular stand out as either unnecessary or weird. The book-end scenes with the children as adults is the strongest example of the former, those scenes added absolutely nothing and felt very clunky and mawkish in writing. The same with the very ham-fisted message introduced here. The way Dickon's character is written is especially strange, in a way that really doesn't fit the character and jars with the setting.Most of the acting is good, apart from the un-authentic accents. Faring weakest is perhaps Jadrien Steele, whose Colin is stiff in places and while the character is meant to be insufferable at first other adaptations did a better job in showing his change. Barret Oliver does quite well as Dickon but is disadvantaged by the way the character is written.Visually, however, this 'Secret Garden' looks good, beautifully and atmospherically photographed that even an at times less than perfect transfer can't ruin, costumed with a lot of love and care and with scenery that's both charming and atmospheric. The music, with some haunting use of Chopin, fits remarkably well and doesn't feel tonally at odds at all.Dialogue has a mostly natural flow and has the right amount of enchantment and mystery. The story has a lot of charm, and there is enough to leave one in awe and make one cry. The direction is above competent and the sound is crisp and clear, complementing the music and dialogue well.Apart from reservations about Steele and to a lesser extent Oliver, the acting is fine. Gennie James gives a Mary that grows in character from spoilt and sullen to a happier and more caring character, displaying all those traits without being too sentimental or too irritating. Michael Hordern's Ben Weatherstaff is spot on, how lovely to see a character treated like a minor character in a couple of the other adaptations be a scene-stealer.Billie Whitelaw is suitably beastly as Mrs Medlock, while giving her some humanity later on. Viewers seem more mixed on Derek Jacobi, to me his Lord Craven was suitably melancholic and mysterious. Martha was quite appealing too.In summary, stands pretty well on its own but purists better look elsewhere. 7/10 Bethany Cox

My grandmother introduced this to me as a young boy and I instantly fell in love with it. The story, as I'm sure you know, was written by Frances Hodgson Burnett in the early 1900s. It is about a young selfish girl who demands attention and, after the sudden death of her parents, moves to an enormous mansion in England. As she settles in, she notices the dark history this place has and is determined to uncover each and every one of its mysteries. Not all Hallmark movies are up to par, but I would definitely say this one is. The two child leads do a splendid job bringing their characters and transformations to life. The haunting score matches the sinister atmosphere beautifully and makes for a very enjoyable viewing and listening experience. A few recognizable actors include Michael Hordern and a brief appearance by Colin Firth.

Just a comment to Michael Zubiria : The movie isn't depicting Mary as possibly infected with cholera in the beginning scene. It is depicting her as drunk. Mary gets up, her maid is dead, and she goes to the table to eat leftovers from the party, where she drinks from a glass of wine. Then she says she feels sick and lies down. She's drunk. This was probably incorporated into the plot line to explain why even though she was in the same house, Mary doesn't know her parents are dead.Just wanted to clear that up.I love this movie. I first saw it at age 11. This is infinitely better than the 1993 version which was sappy. The actors who portrayed Mary and Colin in the 1993 version seriously suck when compared to the actors who portrayed these characters in this version. My biggest beef with the 1993 version is the earthquake scene. When I first saw that, I was like WTF! Why did they kill her folks off through an earthquake instead of cholera? Her parents' deaths set the stage for the whole movie. They shouldn't have messed with that. Also the 'magical connotation' in the 1993 version is beyond tacky.This -the 1987 version is the best movie adaptation of this story so far.

Out of all the different versions of the Secret Garden films, I would have to say this is my favorite.I feel that they brought the essence of the book to life in this film. Not only was the music enchanting, but the cast was well suited.It was if they stepped right out of the novel and came to life. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Frances Hodgson Burnett's the Secret Garden.It stays true to the book no matter what the critics say.