AllMovie

This dark, disturbing version of a classic family story was directed with great delicacy by Agnieszka Holland. The novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first came to the screen in a 1919 silent version, then in the form of a beloved 1949 feature, starring Margaret O'Brien. Four decades later, renewed interest in the story prompted two made-for-television films, one in Britain and one in the United States; a 1991 Broadway musical; and this 1993 remake. Young Kate Maberly has the central role as an orphan girl sent to live in the creepy mansion of her reclusive uncle, in which a sensitive, disabled cousin resides. This joint British-American production also features veteran actors Maggie Smith and John Lynch. Movie magic provides a redeeming ending when the secret garden blooms; but much of the film can be frightening for younger children. Holland's work is mature, faithful to the original, and unusually challenging for "family" fare.