Book and Movie Review of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
When I was a child, my favorite book was Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. It's brimming with friendship, mystery, and the kind of magic children want most to believe in. This is a book I think every little girl should read.
Mary is a brat, but she is also a loving and independent soul who breathes new life into a garden and a boy everyone expected to die. Colin is frankly a bit of an asshole but had been raised to be that way by people who both coddled and ignored him. Dickon is the kind of friend everyone should have the chance to know in their lifetime.
In 1993, a film adaptation of Ms. Burnett's novel was made, and I believe is the only one that ever needs to be made. It's nearly perfect, though the circumstances surrounding the death of Mary's parents were dramatically changed. It was not an earthquake, but an outbreak of cholera that killed most of her village. She was found in her bedroom, enraged because no one had brought her food for several days. The house had been empty beside her because everyone else had either died or fled out of fear of the disease.
Other than that change, the movie was excellent and one that I treasure. It is visually stunning and cast very well. The score is incredible and acting superb. I was the same age as the characters when the movie was released and it has remained one of my favorite movies in all the years since.
Both the book and the movie get a very enthusiastic:
Mary is a brat, but she is also a loving and independent soul who breathes new life into a garden and a boy everyone expected to die. Colin is frankly a bit of an asshole but had been raised to be that way by people who both coddled and ignored him. Dickon is the kind of friend everyone should have the chance to know in their lifetime.
In 1993, a film adaptation of Ms. Burnett's novel was made, and I believe is the only one that ever needs to be made. It's nearly perfect, though the circumstances surrounding the death of Mary's parents were dramatically changed. It was not an earthquake, but an outbreak of cholera that killed most of her village. She was found in her bedroom, enraged because no one had brought her food for several days. The house had been empty beside her because everyone else had either died or fled out of fear of the disease.
Other than that change, the movie was excellent and one that I treasure. It is visually stunning and cast very well. The score is incredible and acting superb. I was the same age as the characters when the movie was released and it has remained one of my favorite movies in all the years since.
Both the book and the movie get a very enthusiastic:
Photo Credit: Katherine Elizabeth
Stars Image Credit: lovethenerddesigns
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