Rating: 
Summary: Not just for girls...
Review: This remake of the classic title was a disappointment at the box office and no one knows why. It's exactly what parents say they're looking for in a kids' movie. Perhaps it's because many think of it as a "girl's movie." We found that both boys and girls identified with characters on many levels - losing parents, being part of a family and learning to understand one another's feelings. It's a wonderful, universal story. Kids are inspired and moved by the emotions each character goes through. They commented: "No matter what your problems are, you can overcome them." "It must have been shot in a big garden. It was neat." "Awesome, it was the best video ever!" Best for 7 to 12-year-olds.
Rating: 
Summary: It Remains a Secret
Review: The secret is that this film seems to be overlooked in film mythos. Is it because it's a children's film? The critics loved it, the viewers loved it, so when will it be recognized as one of the most moving and beautiful of the drama based children films?
Rating:
Summary: A must have
Review: This is great movie for the collection. Very wholesome and family value oriented. It is lush with scenery and well produced. It will captivate children as my 3 year old was enthralled. It is also classic that after many views, it still isn't boring. Great for date nights with the wife after the children go down. God Bless!!
Rating:
Summary: Magnificient!
Review: Here it is. Three children accomplishing what the finest Hollywood actors never would. One of humanity's greatest movies.
Rating:
Summary: The Secret Garden Blooms Once More!
Review: This is one of two beautifuly filmed Warner adaptations of two classic Francis Hodgeson Burnett books; the other being The Little Princess (1995) with Liesl Matthews. Niether of the films were a blockbuster and the box-office, but the critic applaused at the mastery of the works.This Secret Garden is my favorite adaptation of the famed Francis Burnett book. Another would be the very nice 1949 version. This is the adaptation that retains the very meaning of Burnett's novel. The story has been read by many children and adults. It has been told to the younger children, and it has been filmed many times. It is the tale of ten-year-old Mary Lennox, who is made an orphan when her parents die of the cholera plague in India. (In this film, they are killed in an India earthquake. It is not the same, but it is still believable as India was prone to earthquakes at the time.) She is sent to live on her uncle's property in the English moorlands, on the manor Miselsthwaite. She is led by a robin to a mysterious garden that belonged to her aunt before she died. She befirends the kindly country-child, Dickon, and her sickly cousin, Colin. Together, they replant the special garden and find that in this magical place, not only do flowers and tress grow, but frienship and love. This is the tale that has captured many people's hearts. This lovely adaptation does not water down the tale. It is still suitable for intelligent children, but the tale is left darker than the other film versions. This is largely due to the spectacular beauty of the film work, the wonderful acting, and the wonderfuly written script. The cast is almost a living version of what I pictured the novel's character to be like. Kate Maberly is a perfect Mary. She is a spoiled brute who is transformed into a loving girl. (she does not thaw as much as you might expect. She is still a bit tart at the end, but it is efficient and much more believable.) The characters of Dickon and Colin remain much as they were in the novel. They are both well acted, and portayed as children of their surroundings. The stunning filming of the film adds much to the already wonderful acting. The moorlands are still beautiful in the winter, and the spring blooms and radiant and flowing. The garden is larger than you might expect it to be, and the scenes in the manor are done expertly. The script is also a very nice ealization of the story. It is believable, and charming. It is still close to the original novel, with the exception of the earthquake scene. (Which, again, is not a loss. I don't feel like seeing another cholera infection, or Mary coming out of her bedroom in an abandoned house.) Another addition to this film is the beautiful music. The song "Winter Light" carresses each scene. It is a remarkable score that adds to the atmosphere. Remember to pay attention to the score when watching. Overall, this film show the secret garden as it was meant to be seen. The 1949 version is a second, and the 1981 London version is very nice. (There is a popular 1987 version from Hallmark, Hall of Fame. If that is the version you grew up with, by all means I would recomend it. However, if you want a more pleasing version of the tale, despite popularity, I urge you to try this one. If you do not like it, you can go on to the other three I have listed.) This, however, is the version you will not regret watching. It is a touching look at childhood, and the magic of life.
Rating: 
Summary: Low-key, with one Kieslowski-like moment of epiphany.
Review: Director Holland manages the trick of being faithful to Burnett's text - in terms of narrative, setting, character etc. - while subverting its ideological assumptions. The unobtrusive analysis of class qualifies all movement towards resolution, focusing on the excluded, working class boy rather than any restoration of aristocracy. Mary's parents in India are symptomatic of wider Imperial apathy; while the ghostly manor is an allegory for a sick, disintegrating empire. Mary the outsider in Gothdom bares the mark of 'Edward Scissorhands' writer Caroline Thompson, but Kieslowski proteges Holland and Preisner only get one chance to emulate their master, a firelit childrens' wish reaching their guardian thousands of miles away.
Rating:
Summary: Pensive study of children
Review: Friendships of children are studied, from inception to full involvement, from childhood to adulthood. If you like children, you will enjoy their moments of quiet dignity, as presented herein. Everything impacts children, what we do and what we don't do; the Secret Garden brings that home. You will want to be ever vigilant about your child's feelings after seeing this.
Rating:
Summary: Magical
Review: Even as an adult, I find this movie to be wonderful and magical. If you have children or just want it for yourself this movie is a delight!
Rating:
Summary: I feel confident in giving this film 5 stars!
Review: I have owned this film for I believe 7 years and it is still in my collection after all the years of selling my movies. There is something to say, "this is a classic!" I never wanted to let go of it. I was too weak for it. Kate Maberly is one of the most beautiful ladies in the world, including her acting, being exquisite and intelligent. This film is not a Children's Film as many people claim. This is a very adult film and the more I open my mind, the more I see that an adult (I am a college student) can be watching this and feel they are learning more from a little lady, than from millions of psychologists and books out in the world.
Rating:
Summary: I'm afraid I'll wear my copy out, I watch it so often!
Review: If you love the book, this movie will completely deliver on your expectations. If you've never read the book, this movie still has plenty to offer--it's visually stunning, a magical historic drama, a fabulous performance from the great Maggie Smith (as well as from the rest of the very well chosen cast). This movie makes great rainy day viewing, and will be a hit among adults, kids, and period-romantic drama.
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