While this film version of the beloved children's classic The Secret Garden is the most faithful to the the original story and has some nice production values, it is otherwise not very good. The most obvious problem is the casting and characterizations. Mary and Dickon both have American accents, and while Dickon's is okay, Mary's is whiny, extremely childish and very annoying. I found it impossible to like her, and Gennie James's portrayal did not help any. She was so smug and bratty I couldn't stand it. It was unnecessary for the writer and director to portray Dickon as an all-knowing mystic who can sense the future and Colin as a very simple-minded little boy. And I just was not affected or uplifted by the story as it was presented. I really cannot recommend this film version for fans of the book.
Review of The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden
(1987 TV Movie)
Not as good as the book and most other film versions
28 August 1999