Film Talk: Looking Back – Healing the hurt with The Secret Garden

Directed by Agnieszka Holland and with a certain Francis Ford Coppola on hand as executive producer, The Secret Garden is a gem of the 90s that will forever remain in my heart as one of the films that shaped my burgeoning love of cinema.

Based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel of the same name, this one put child actors Kate Maberly, Heydon Prowse and Andrew Knott front-and-centre, with John Lynch and Dame Maggie Smith on hand to keep the little 'uns in line... or not.

With The Secret Garden set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire Moors, Allerton Castle was used for most of the exterior shots of the primary setting, Misselthwaite Manor. With a cast comprising a trio of talented youngsters and the ever-magnificent Maggie Smith, expectations for this one were strong. But would the 80-year-old tale resonate with audiences of the day, and bring home those much-wanted box office bucks?

When Mary Lennox's (Maberly) parents are tragically killed in an Indian earthquake, the young orphan is sent to Yorkshire to live at her uncle's estate.

Said uncle (Lynch) is a depressed recluse; still in mourning for his wife, Mary's mother's twin sister.

Left mostly to her own devices, Mary explores the house and grounds, watched with scrutiny by housekeeper Mrs Medlock (Smith).

Finding her new world cold, Mary is disdainful of her uncle's home. However, she soon makes two very strange discoveries. Upon exploring the grounds she finds a hidden garden that has been kept locked for many years. Yet even more extraordinarily, she soon discovers that the sound of crying that echoes through the house at night belongs to her sickly cousin, Colin (Prowse), whom she never knew existed.

Colin has been kept housebound for his entire life out of fear for his health, yet Mary – with the help of another new young friend, Dickon (Knott) – may be just the tonic to heal him. But will she also be enough to mend her uncle's heart?

Grossing around $40 million worldwide, The Secret Garden was considered a commercial success. Critics praised the performance of Dame Maggie (who was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role) and that of Kate Maberly, who received a Special Achievement Award For Outstanding Performance at the 1994 London Critics Circle Film Awards.

Both Prowse and Knott also shone throughout the film, and eagle-eyed viewers and Gavin and Stacey fans may recognise the latter as the boy who grew up to be Dirtbox.

Prowse on the other hand has enjoyed a career as journalist, satirist, director and comedian, famous for his prank calls. In 2017 he reportedly duped staff at 10 Downing Street, claiming that the US President wanted to send Theresa May a bouquet of flowers. In the same year he supposedly had Jeremy Corbyn believing he was Stormzy and that the two were going to be making a grime video together. And he seemed like such a sweet boy in this flick... it's always the quiet ones.

A treat for viewers of all ages that has weathered well, The Secret Garden is worthy of a revisit time and time again.

In 2005, the British Film Institute included it in their list of the '50 films you should see by the age of 14', and it is, indeed, an absolute 'must' for young ones in the need of something compelling.

Don't keep the secret to yourselves – get the next generation involved.