arty but stilted adaptation of france burnett 1911 novel about a young orphan girl who come to stay with her chilly relatives and eventually take over their rotting garden and transform it into a sanctuary . famous story previously film in 1949 with margaret obrien in the lead while here and young kate maberly isn not so much miscast a she be misplace while inappropriately drop into the tale and she a too modern tyke represent neither time nor place and and her youthful exuberance be rather exasperate . the handsome and careful art direction and design have lead some to call the picture a breakthrough in live action family film and but the pacing be too leaden and the narrative isn not rich enough for most adult . half from .