The Secret Garden (1993)

Director:

Agnieszka Holland

Writers (WGA):

Frances Hodgson Burnett (book)
Caroline Thompson (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 August 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

The timeless tale of a special place where magic, hope, and love grow.

Plot:

A young British girl born and raised in India loses her neglectful parents in an earthquake. She is returned to England to live at her uncle's castle...

Plot Keywords:

Garden | Earthquake | Secret | Girl | India

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Kate Maberly	...	Mary Lennox
Heydon Prowse	...	Colin Craven
Andrew Knott	...	Dickon
Maggie Smith	...	Mrs. Medlock
Laura Crossley	...	Martha
John Lynch	...	Lord Archibald Craven
Walter Sparrow	...	Ben Weatherstaff
Irène Jacob	...	Mary's Mother / Lilias Craven (as Irene Jacob)
Frank Baker	...	Government Official
Valerie Hill	...	Cook
Andrea Pickering	...	Betty Butterworth
Peter Moreton	...	Will
Arthur Spreckley	...	John
Colin Bruce	...	Major Lennox
Parsan Singh	...	Ayah
Eileen Page	...	Grandmother at Dock
David Stoll	...	Grandfather at Dock
Tabatha Allen	...	Girl at Dock
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Corrie Greenop	...	Dickon's Brother (uncredited)

Directed by
Agnieszka Holland

Writing credits (WGA)
Frances Hodgson Burnett		(book)
Caroline Thompson		(screenplay)

Produced by
Francis Ford Coppola	....	executive producer
Fred Fuchs	....	producer
Tom Luddy	....	producer
Fred Roos	....	producer
Caroline Thompson	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Zbigniew Preisner

Cinematography by
Roger Deakins

Film Editing by
Isabelle Lorente

Production Design by
Stuart Craig

Art Direction by
John King		(supervising art director)
Peter Russell

Set Decoration by
Stephenie McMillan

Costume Design by
Marit Allen

Makeup Department
Robert McCann	....	makeup artist
Jenny Shircore	....	chief hair stylist
Jenny Shircore	....	chief makeup artist

Production Management
Roy Button	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Brown	....	first assistant director
Peter Heslop	....	second assistant director
Geoff Dibben	....	third assistant director: dailies (uncredited)

Art Department
Alan Brooks	....	hod carpenter
Kavin Hall	....	hod painter
Peter Hancock	....	property master
Dave Midson	....	chargehand dressing prop
Jim Morahan	....	assistant art director
Michael Redding	....	construction coordinator
Don Taylor	....	hod plasterer
Peter Voysey	....	head sculptor
Lawrie Ayres	....	dressing props (uncredited)
Will Ayres	....	props (uncredited)
Peter Dorme	....	junior draughtsman (uncredited)
Richard Lyon	....	construction storeman (uncredited)
Adam O'Neill	....	art department assistant (uncredited)

Sound Department
Laurie Bernard	....	sound effects editor
Karen Brocco	....	assistant dialogue editor
Malcolm Fife	....	foley editor
Roy Finch	....	assistant sound effects editor
David Frederick	....	assistant dialogue editor (as Dave Frederick)
Lora Hirschberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pat Jackson	....	dialogue editor
Drew Kunin	....	sound mixer
Kyrsten Mate	....	assistant sound effects editor
Marilyn McCoppen	....	adr editor
Anne McGlynn	....	first assistant dialogue editor
Jim McKee	....	sound effects editor
Jennifer Myers	....	foley artist
Margie O'Malley	....	foley artist
E. Jeane Putnam	....	dialogue editor
Michael Semanick	....	foley mixer
Leslie Shatz	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Sutton	....	boom operator
Jennifer L. Ware	....	supervising sound editor (as Jennifer Lee Ware)
Sandy Buchanan	....	post-production sound assistant (uncredited)
Andy Newell	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Bob Sarles	....	temp mix sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Peter Dawson	....	special effects foreman
Michael Dunleavy	....	senior special effects technician
John Evans	....	special effects supervisor
Simon Hewitt	....	special effects
Digby Milner	....	special effects
Peter Pickering	....	special effects
Barry Whitrod	....	senior special effects technician
Terence J. Cox	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Dave Crownshaw	....	snow effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Robin Browne	....	visual effects consultant
Nicholas Brooks	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: CFC (uncredited)
Mark Nelmes	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Andrew Anderson	....	nature photographer
Richard Broome	....	camera grip
Pete Cavaciuti	....	Steadicam operator
Murray Close	....	still photographer
Kevin Edland	....	best boy
John Higgins	....	gaffer
Mike House	....	camera grip
Bob Penn	....	still photographer
Dick Pope	....	additional photographer
Michael W. Richards	....	nature photographer (as Mike Richards)
Simon Richards	....	focus puller
Gary Turnbull	....	focus puller
Jerzy Zielinski	....	additional photographer
Simon Starling	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Chris Warren	....	video operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Karen Lindsay-Stewart	....	casting
Linda Phillips-Palo	....	casting: USA
Alyson Spiro	....	casting assistant: U.K.
Suzy Freeman	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ken Crouch	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Kenny Crouch)
Jenny Hawkins	....	wardrobe mistress
Stewart Meachem	....	wardrobe master (as Stewart Meacham)
Emily Seresin	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Tullio Brunt	....	second assistant editor
Tina Fallani	....	first assistant editor
Tom Freeman	....	first assistant editor
Joanne S. Grant	....	post-production coordinator (as Joanne Grant)
Kevin Lane	....	first assistant editor
David Orr	....	color timer
Warren Paeff	....	second assistant editor
Nick Smith	....	additional editor
Santiago Thévenet	....	second assistant editor (as Santiago Thevenet)
Nickolas Perry	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Wojciech Michniewski	....	conductor: Sinfonia Varsovia
Rafal Paczkowski	....	music recordist
Curt Sobel	....	music consultant
Alex Stahl	....	assistant music mixer
Karen Tenkhoff	....	assistant music editor
Sinfonia Varsovia	....	orchestra

Other crew
Kasia Adamik	....	assistant: Agnieszka Holland (as Katarzyna Adamik)
Brad Africano	....	production aide
Kim Aubry	....	technical supervisor
Linda Bowen	....	assistant accountant
Judi Bunn	....	production coordinator
Mel Churcher	....	acting coach
Susan d'Arcy	....	unit publicist
Nick Daubeny	....	location manager
Kevin De La Noy	....	location manager
Richard Edwards	....	tutor
James Ellis	....	script supervisor
Deborah E. Gollan	....	production aide
Gerry Gore	....	location assistant: Yorkshire
Louise Heren	....	assistant: Fred Roos
Nicholas Iacona	....	production aide
Anna Kaminska	....	production aide
Andrew MacDonald Brown	....	location assistant: London (as Andrew MacDonald-Brown)
Nancy Mannigham	....	dialogue coach
Jason Mendonca	....	production runner
Jim Montgomery	....	production aide
Matthew O'Toole	....	production runner (as Matt O'Toole)
Marek Pacholec	....	assistant: Agnieszka Holland
Helena Rothman	....	production runner
Nina Saxon	....	title designer: main title
Mike Smith	....	financial controller
Nick Smith	....	montage sequence
Meredith Stiehm	....	assistant: Freed Roos
Steven Weisman	....	assistant: Fred Fuchs
Torbin Xan Bullock	....	MRO/transfer department (uncredited)
Bill Daly	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)
Gary Nixon	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents) (as Warner Bros.)
• American Zoetrope

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1993) (worldwide) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. A Time Warner Entertainment Company)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (1994) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (Argentina)
• Warner Bros. (Spain)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD) (2 film edition)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (2 film edition)
• Warner Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Computer Film Company, The (CFC) (CG compositing)
• Illusion Arts (matte paintings)

Other Companies

• Allerton Park  the producers wish to thank
• American Zoetrope  post-production facilities
• Cosprop  costumes (uncredited)
• Eton College  the producers wish to thank
• First Unit Caterers  catering
• Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal of The Yorkshire National Trust  the producers wish to thank
• Harrow School  the producers wish to thank
• Holborn & Camden Police  the producers wish to thank
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Movietech  camera equipment provided by
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Palmbrokers  greenery (uncredited)
• St. Pancras Chambers  the producers wish to thank
• Warner Bros. Pictures  author of this motion picture for purposes of copyright and other laws (as Warner Bros.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:MG6 | France:U | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Canada:G (Manitoba/New Brunswick/Nova Scotia) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Peru:PT | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Allerton Park, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In Burnett's book The Secret Garden it is Mary's father who is related to Colin's mother. Also they were not twins.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the dream that Mary has of her herself and her mother (37:03 to 37:33), the little girl Mary has pierced ears, diamond earrings to be more specific. Yet the current Mary has no earrings or ears pierced.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mary:My name is Mary Lennox. I was born in India. It was hot, and strange, and lonely in India. I didn't like it. Nobody by my servant, my ayah, looked after me. My parents didn't want me. My mother cared only to go to parties. And my father was busy with his military duties. I was never allowed to go to the parties. I watched them from my mother's bedroom window. I was angry, but I never cried. I didn't know how to cry.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Catfish (2010)

Soundtrack:

Greensleeves

Has the rare quality of understanding and enhancing its source

The Secret Garden is a rare treat where in the screenwriter and director actually understand their source, The Secret Garden by Frances Hogsden Burnett, and make a translation to the screen that not only captures the essence of the book but enhances the story as well. Too often directors spoil the story with their own self-interested spin (Little Big Man and Chocolat come immediately to mind)but here is a jewel that leaves the viewer saying "That was as good as the book." A genuine triumph.

The cast is outstanding, the children in particular, Kate Maberly as Mary Lennox above all. Even to the most minor extra everyone brings a smooth and compelling reality to the story.

However, the real star is director Agnieszka Holland. Against a challenging climate ( a rainy location) she manages to create a movie with a touching commentary on how children can literally change the world. Her insightful grasp of the themes of isolation, growth and rejuvenation, the need for a balance between nurture and allowable risk are all managed through the controlling metaphor of a garden. The artful rendering of these literary themes are what many directors apparently find most challenging ( I'm looking at you Arthur Penn)and generally blissfully ignore them compensating by glib insertions, extra action or clumsy sentiment. Not so here.

Not only is her focus exemplary but the photography is amazing. The interplay of light and dark, the time elapse photos of clouds rolling and flowers emerging all set to beautiful music captivate the viewer. The rainy weather was not shunned but used to fullest effect. I can only imagine the discipline it must have taken to wait for the sun to peep out from the clouds and then roll film hoping that the cast can pull off the shot before the light changed and a second take became a long wait. Fortunately all are up to the task and the film, the final scene in particular, results in a brilliant piece of motion picture art.

The 1993 version of The Secret Garden is a must for every family film collection, one the parents and kids can enjoy for its sophistication or simply for the great way in which this timeless classic is retold.