The Secret Garden

“If you look the right way, the whole world is a garden.”

This week we have another film based on a classic book. The Secret Garden tells the story of Mary Lennox who, after losing her parents, moves to her uncle’s English manor. Miserable and restless in her new home, and annoyed with her new guardians, she finds purpose in secretly restoring the manor’s garden, which is supposed to remain locked up and forgotten.

The garden had once belonged to her aunt. After she passed away, her uncle had grown dispirited and closed the garden in an effort to cope with the painful loss of his wife. But when Mary decides to bring it back to life, she soon discovers that caring for something and wanting to see it grow changes her outlook on everything.

Even today, it’s not so hard to notice that what you care about and hope for will determine how you perceive the world. And when you care about the right things and you’re determined enough, magic can happen. This classic family film is ultimately about the healing power that can come from bearing meaningful responsibility.

Runtime: 101 minutes
Rated G
88% on Rotten Tomatoes
USCCB — A-I
IMDb Parents Guide