Tom's Midnight Garden (1999)

Young Tom Long is forced to stay with his kindly Aunt and Uncle while his brother recovers from a bout of the measles. At their flat, he is disappointed to find there is no garden to play ... See full summary »

Director:

Willard Carroll

Writers:

Willard Carroll (screenplay), Philippa Pearce (novel)

Stars:

Nigel Le Vaillant, Marlene Sidaway, Serena Gordon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nigel Le Vaillant	...	Thomas Long (adult)
Marlene Sidaway	...	Doris Schuster
Serena Gordon	...	Melody Long
Alfie Lawrence	...	Harriet Long
Mel Martin	...	Alice Long
Greta Scacchi	...	Aunt Gwen Kitson
James Wilby	...	Uncle Alan Kitson
Anthony Way	...	Tom Long
Nick Robinson	...	Peter Long
Liz Smith	...	Mrs. Willows
Arlene Cockburn	...	Susan the Maid
Tom Bowles	...	Mr. Ferguson
Joan Plowright	...	Mrs. Bartholomew
David Bradley	...	Abel
Stuart Piper	...	Hubert

Storyline

Young Tom Long is forced to stay with his kindly Aunt and Uncle while his brother recovers from a bout of the measles. At their flat, he is disappointed to find there is no garden to play in; but his disappointment turns to wonder when he discovers a magical garden which only appears at night when an old grandfather clock strikes thirteen. His nightly excursions to this beautiful garden become even more interesting when he realises that the people he meets cannot see him - except one young girl named Hattie.

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Plot Keywords:

garden | clock | girl | measles | head bandage | 

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Taglines:

It was a special time... and a special place

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Easton Films Vine International Pictures Ltd.

Country:

UK USA Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2000 (UK)

Also Known As:

Gradina de la miezul noptii

Filming Locations:

Chenies Manor House, Chenies, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

BS24, Hyperion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It features a scene or two filmed in and near to Ely Cathedral in Ely Cambridgeshire

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Quotes

[talking about Hatty]
James: Why do you hate her so much?
Aunt Melbourne: I hate her because it's so easy for the rest of you to love her.

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Connections

Version of Tom's Midnight Garden (1974)

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Soundtracks

After Always
Written by Debbie Wiseman & Don Black
Performed by Barbara Dickson & Miriam Stockley

User Reviews

A beautiful film, subtle and thought-provoking

Unlike many films of this nature, this film does not spend ages character building before launching into the story. The pre-story is short, with the film being plot driven. The characters are not explored in depth, instead it is the relationship between Tom and Hatty that is the focus.

That is not to say that you do not feel for the characters, the empathy is there. Like the best films, not everything is explained, and it is for you to discover it for yourself, leaving you with the desire to say your discovery to the characters. Slowly you become drawn into Tom's world.

The settings are beautiful, the characters are generally well acted, and the ending, whilst obvious, is still wonderful. Warning: may lead to tears !

I would, without question, recommend this film. It appeals to everyone from children to adults, and works on a few different levels.